One of the biggest shows of the 1980s was ITV's Minder, which starred Dennis Waterman and George Cole. George shot to fame thanks to his role in the comedy drama as wheeler-dealer Arthur Daley, who was always looking for a "nice little earner".
Although Dennis would leave the show following its seventh season, George remained with the show until it came to an end in 1994, acting alongside Gary Webster. When Minder was briefly revived in 2009, George stayed away from the show.
While Arthur's wife never appeared on the show, with the character only referred to as "Er Indoors", George was married twice, first to actress Eileen Moore and secondly to actress Penny Morrell, who he stayed with until he died at the age of 90 on 5 August 2015.
With both of his wives, George welcomed two children, having Crispin and Harriet with Eileen and Toby and Tara with Penny. While Toby and Tara have preferred to stay away from the spotlight, both Cris and Harriet entered the entertainment world.
However, George ended up becoming estranged from his eldest daughter, Harriet, with the rift never healing before the actor died. Read on for all you need to know…
George's children
George's eldest son Crispin goes by the name of Cris, and while George was known for his on-screen work, Cris prefers to work behind the camera. The star is a writer and producer and has worked on the likes of Night and Day, The Bill and Pelican Blood.
However, his biggest success came with the Sky series Mad Dogs. Cris wrote all 14 episodes of the BAFTA-nominated show that starred John Simm, Max Beesley and Philip Glenister. Cris was also involved with the American version of the show, serving as its executive producer and showrunner.
© Getty ImagesMeanwhile, daughter Harriet became an actress in the 1980s, before stepping away from the world of showbusiness. Before her retirement, she secured roles in the likes of Cockles, Late Starter, Crossroads and EastEnders.
George and Harriet became estranged after George married his second wife, Penny. The actor had raised Harriet and Cris after Eileen left him for another man, but they chose to return to their mother following the wedding.
© Alamy Stock PhotoSpeaking to the Mail in 2013, George said: "I think she felt she had to choose between her mum and Penny, but I didn't impose that choice on her. Initially there was great sorrow, but now it's too long ago to feel rancour. I've offered her many olive branches, but she's hit me with them."
When asked by The Sun in 2015 if she made up with her father before his death, Harriet responded: "No, I haven't had contact. I sent my condolences but that is all I want to say."
© GC ImagesGeorge's two other children, Toby and Tara, have mostly kept out of the headlines. Tara is a businesswoman, running her own ice cream van, while Toby is a managing director at RBS Global Banking and Markets.
