About

Known credits:
36
Birthday:
1921-09-03
Place of birth:
Everton, Liverpool, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Bill Dean

Overview

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

Acting
1998 Brookside: Friday the 13th Actor Harold Cross 59
Average
1996 Hillsborough Actor Additional Cast 59
Average
1995 Priest Actor Altar Boy 59
Average
1994 Skallagrigg Actor Old Man 58
Average
1991 Let Him Have It Actor Foreman of the Jury 59
Average
1983 Slayground Actor Compere 58
Average
1983 The Gathering Seed Actor Billy Eccles N/A
N/A
1981 Going Gently Actor Painter 59
Average
1981 A Turn for the Worse Actor (voice) N/A
N/A
1980 The Mirror Crack'd Actor Man in Village Hall (uncredited) 59
Average
1980 Rising Damp Actor Workman 58
Average
1979 Scum Actor Mr Duke 62
Fair
1978 Night People Actor Ted N/A
N/A
1978 Freedom of the Dig Actor Sid N/A
N/A
1978 Pennies from Heaven Actor Alf 70
Good
1976 Beasts: What Big Eyes Actor Duggie Jeb N/A
N/A
1976 Bag of Yeast Actor Teddy N/A
N/A
1975 Break In Actor Dixie N/A
N/A
1975 In Sickness and in Health Actor Mr Jackson N/A
N/A
1975 Waiting at the Field Gate Actor Ted N/A
N/A
1975 The Wackers Actor Charlie 69
Fair
1975 Flame Actor Club Owner (uncredited) 59
Average
1974 Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt! Actor 69
Fair
1974 Match of the Day Actor Father N/A
N/A
1973 Night Watch Actor Inspector Walker 59
Average
1973 Speech Day Actor George N/A
N/A
1973 The Best Pair of Legs in the Business Actor Bert 59
Average
1972 Bank Holiday Actor Father N/A
N/A
1971 Gumshoe Actor Tommy Wright 59
Average
1971 Family Life Actor Mr. Baildon 60
Fair
1971 After a Lifetime Actor Uncle Sid N/A
N/A
1971 The Rank and File Actor Billy 58
Average
1970 Roll On Four O'Clock Actor Arthur Foster N/A
N/A
1970 Kes Actor Fish and Chip Shop Man 65
Fair
1969 The Big Flame Actor Landlord 59
Average
1968 The Golden Vision Actor John Coyne 59
Average