- Served In The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War.
- He and his A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Rogues (1964) and Prudence and the Pill (1968) co-star David Niven both played Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim in different adaptations of the 1894 novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope: Niven in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and Coote in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952).
- During the 1930s toured Britain and acted in Australia and then, prior to the Second World War, spent four years in Hollywood.
- Only survivor was his sister, Peggy Coote Caswell of Sussex, England.
- For many years he lived above David Niven's garage in Hollywood.
- Was nominated for Broadway's 1957 Tony Award as Best Supporting Actor (Musical) for "My Fair Lady," for his performance as Colonel Pickering, a role he created in the original Broadway production (1956-1962) and reprised in the Broadway revival (1976-1977).
- Son of Bert Coote, who wrote the popular children's play, The Windmill Man.
- Made his London debut playing the King in the 1931 revival of "The Windmill Man" at the Victoria Palace.
- Mother, Ada Russell, was a dancer.
- David Niven worked with Coote (whom he invariably called "Coote, old man") on many occasions and the two of them even shared a house for a time; Niven spoke fondly of him in his memoirs. However, on reading these reminiscences, Coote was a little annoyed to find that Niven had deliberately attributed certain witticisms of his to other, more famous actors, presumably to "make a better story".
- Left Hurstpierpoint College at sixteen and moved into repertory, touring Shakespeare and a season with an English company in South Africa.
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