Bill Dean
Acting • Born 1921-09-03 – Died 2000-04-20
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.
Filmography
47 credits
Match of the Day
Movie • 1974
Father
Waiting at the Field Gate
Movie • 1975
Ted
In Sickness and in Health
Movie • 1975
Mr Jackson
Flame
Movie • 1975
Club Owner (uncredited)
Family Life
Movie • 1971
Mr. Baildon
Beasts: What Big Eyes
Movie • 1976
Duggie Jeb
Going Gently
Movie • 1981
Painter
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Movie • 1998
Harold Cross
Night Watch
Movie • 1973
Inspector Walker
Scum
Movie • 1979
Mr Duke
Priest
Movie • 1995
Altar Boy
Break In
Movie • 1975
Dixie
Night People
Movie • 1978
Ted
The Golden Vision
Movie • 1968
John Coyne
The Rank and File
Movie • 1971
Billy
Gumshoe
Movie • 1971
Tommy Wright
Speech Day
Movie • 1973
George
Kes
Movie • 1970
Fish and Chip Shop Man
Slayground
Movie • 1983
Compere
The Big Flame
Movie • 1969
Landlord
Hillsborough
Movie • 1996
Additional Cast
Let Him Have It
Movie • 1991
Foreman of the Jury
Rising Damp
Movie • 1980
Workman
The Mirror Crack'd
Movie • 1980
Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Skallagrigg
Movie • 1994
Old Man
Bag of Yeast
Movie • 1976
Teddy
Roll On Four O'Clock
Movie • 1970
Arthur Foster
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
Movie • 1973
Bert
A Turn for the Worse
Movie • 1981
(voice)
Bank Holiday
Movie • 1972
Father
Freedom of the Dig
Movie • 1978
Sid
Heartbeat
TV • 1992
Harry Capshaw
Beasts
TV • 1976
Duggie Jebb
Man in a Suitcase
TV • 1967
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
TV • 1983
The Expert
TV • 1968
Leslie Stevens
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
TV • 1974
Jack
Playhouse
TV • 1974
Painter
The Wackers
TV • 1975
Charlie
Minder
TV • 1979
Police Sgt.
Justice
TV • 1971
Charlie Keen
The Gathering Seed
TV • 1983
Billy Eccles
Public Eye
TV • 1965
Mr. Steadman
The Sweeney
TV • 1975
Charlie Norton
Budgie
TV • 1971
Dutchie Holland
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV • 1977
Ted
Pennies from Heaven
TV • 1978
Alf