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Actor
Bill Dean
- Born September 3, 1921 in Everton, Liverpool, England, UK
- Died April 20, 2000
Bill Dean was a British actor who was born in Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire. He was born Patrick Anthony Connolly, but took his stage name in honour of Everton football legend William 'Dixie' Dean. After a atring of jobs, it was his work as a Lancashire club comedian that saw him spotted by Ken Loach who gave him his breakthrough role in his TV play The Golden Vision. Famous for his flat but penetrating Scouse tones, Dean went on to star as miserable pensioner Harry Cross in the long running Channel 4 soap Brookside from its inception in 1983 to 1990.
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He briefly returned to the series in 1999 for three episodes, when his character re-appeared in Brookside Close suffering from Alzheimer's disease and wrongly believing that he still lived there. The same character was the inspiration behind the 1980s group 'Jegsy Dodd and the sons of Harry Cross' who hailed from the Wirral and Dean himself appeared in the video of the Liverpudlian band The Farm's Groovy Train as Cross, who was a former train driver. He did of a heart attack aged 78 in 2000.
Known for
Kes1970
The Mirror Crack'd1980
Scum1979
Priest1995
Family Life1971
Let Him Have It1991
Night Watch1973
Gumshoe1971
Filmography
- 1998Brookside: Friday the 13thFilmHarold Cross
- 1996HillsboroughFilmAdditional Cast
- 1995PriestFilmAltar Boy
- 1994SkallagriggFilmOld Man
- 1992HeartbeatSeriesHarry Capshaw
- 1991Let Him Have ItFilmForeman of the Jury
- 1990The WordSeries
- 1984SlaygroundFilmCompere
- 1983Agatha Christie's Partners in CrimeSeriesMr Hove
- 1983The Gathering SeedSeriesBilly Eccles
- 1981Going GentlyFilmPainter
- 1981A Turn for the WorseFilm(voice)
- 1980The Mirror Crack'dFilmMan in Village Hall (uncredited)
- 1980Rising DampFilmWorkman
- 1980God's Wonderful RailwaySeriesTed Jarvis
- 1980Nobody's PerfectSeriesMr Barrington
- 1979ScumFilmMr Duke
- 1979MinderSeriesPolice Sgt.
- 1978Pennies from HeavenSeriesAlf
- 1978Night PeopleFilmTed
- 1978Freedom of the DigFilmSid
- 1977BBC2 Play of the WeekSeriesTed
- 1976BeastsSeriesDuggie Jebb
- 1976Beasts: What Big EyesFilmDuggie Jeb
- 1976Bag of YeastFilmTeddy
- 1975The SweeneySeriesCharlie Norton
- 1975FlameFilmClub Owner (uncredited)
- 1975The WackersSeriesCharlie
- 1975Waiting at the Field GateFilmTed
- 1975In Sickness and in HealthFilmMr Jackson
- 1975Break InFilmDixie
- 1974Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!SeriesJack
- 1974PlayhouseSeriesPainter
- 1974Match of the DayFilmFather
- 1973Night WatchFilmInspector Walker
- 1973The Best Pair of Legs in the BusinessFilmBert
- 1973Speech DayFilmGeorge
- 1972New Scotland YardSeriesBernard Hobbs
- 1972Bank HolidayFilmFather
- 1971Family LifeFilmMr. Baildon
- 1971GumshoeFilmTommy Wright
- 1971BudgieSeriesDutchie Holland
- 1971The Rank and FileFilmBilly
- 1971JusticeSeriesCharlie Keen
- 1970KesFilmFish and Chip Shop Man
- 1970Play for TodaySeriesBilly
- 1970Roll On Four O'ClockFilmArthur Foster
- 1969The Big FlameFilmLandlord
- 1969ITV Saturday Night TheatreSeriesUncle Sid
- 1968The Golden VisionFilmJohn Coyne
- 1968The ExpertSeriesLeslie Stevens
- 1967Man in a SuitcaseSeries
- 1965Public EyeSeriesMr. Steadman
- 1964The Wednesday PlaySeriesJohn Coyne