Bill Dean
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 3, 1921
- Died
- April 20, 2000 (aged 78)
- Birthplace
- Everton, Liverpool, England, UK
Biography
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. 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
Filmography
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Movie · as Harold Cross
Hillsborough
Movie · as Additional Cast
Priest
Movie · as Altar Boy
Skallagrigg
Movie · as Old Man
Heartbeat
TV · as Harry Capshaw · 1 ep
Let Him Have It
Movie · as Foreman of the Jury
The Word
TV · 2 eps
Slayground
Movie · as Compere
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
TV · as Mr Hove
The Gathering Seed
TV · as Billy Eccles · 6 eps
Going Gently
Movie · as Painter
A Turn for the Worse
Movie · as (voice)
Rising Damp
Movie · as Workman
The Mirror Crack'd
Movie · as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Nobody's Perfect
TV · as Mr Barrington · 1 ep
God's Wonderful Railway
TV · as Ted Jarvis · 3 eps
Scum
Movie · as Mr Duke
Minder
TV · as Police Sgt. · 1 ep
Night People
Movie · as Ted
Freedom of the Dig
Movie · as Sid
Pennies from Heaven
TV · as Alf · 2 eps
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV · as Ted · 1 ep
Beasts: What Big Eyes
Movie · as Duggie Jeb
Bag of Yeast
Movie · as Teddy
Beasts
TV · as Duggie Jebb · 1 ep
Waiting at the Field Gate
Movie · as Ted
In Sickness and in Health
Movie · as Mr Jackson
Flame
Movie · as Club Owner (uncredited)
Break In
Movie · as Dixie
The Wackers
TV · as Charlie · 7 eps
The Sweeney
TV · as Charlie Norton · 1 ep
Match of the Day
Movie · as Father
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
TV · as Jack · 15 eps
Playhouse
TV · as Painter · 1 ep
Night Watch
Movie · as Inspector Walker
Speech Day
Movie · as George
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
Movie · as Bert
Bank Holiday
Movie · as Father
New Scotland Yard
TV · as Bernard Hobbs · 1 ep
Family Life
Movie · as Mr. Baildon
The Rank and File
Movie · as Billy
Gumshoe
Movie · as Tommy Wright
Justice
TV · as Charlie Keen · 1 ep
Budgie
TV · as Dutchie Holland · 1 ep
Kes
Movie · as Fish and Chip Shop Man
Roll On Four O'Clock
Movie · as Arthur Foster
Play for Today
TV · as Billy · 1 ep
The Big Flame
Movie · as Landlord
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
TV · as Uncle Sid · 1 ep
The Golden Vision
Movie · as John Coyne
The Expert
TV · as Leslie Stevens · 1 ep
Man in a Suitcase
TV · 1 ep
Public Eye
TV · as Mr. Steadman · 1 ep
The Wednesday Play
TV · as John Coyne · 1 ep