He performed bright, characteristic roles in the films The Elusive Avengers, Intervention, Eternal Call, The Straw Hat, and many others.

In his students years he earned additionally as supernumerary in the BTD, entered to the studio of this theatre (course of K.K.Tverskoy).

Kopelyan acted in film and on TV a lot, and was the brilliant master of small roles: Steersman (Tanker Derbent, 1941), Priest Gapon (Prologue, 1956), Sergo Ordzhonikidze (Kochubey, 1958), Nalbandov (Time, forward!, 1966), Burnash (The Elusive Avengers, 1967), 1971: Cossack Leader Ataman in epic film Dauria (1971 film) (Даурия), Burtsev (The Story about human heart, 1975), Beybutov (Yaroslav Dombrovsky, 1976), etc.

Among his best cinematic roles were Savva Morozov (Nikolai Bauman; the prize of the All-Union film festival, 1968), Svidrigaylov (Crime and punishment, 1970).

He acted in television films Old fortress (1973), Crash of engineer Garin, and Eternal call.