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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0212674
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4908731
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Filmography (Movies)
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Character:Harold Cross
Release Date:14/11/1998
Hillsborough
Character:Additional Cast
Release Date:11/09/1996
Priest
Character:Altar Boy
Release Date:24/03/1995
Skallagrigg
Character:Old Man
Release Date:09/03/1994
Let Him Have It
Character:Foreman of the Jury
Release Date:04/10/1991
Slayground
Character:Compere
Release Date:01/12/1983
Going Gently
Character:Painter
Release Date:05/06/1981
A Turn for the Worse
Character:(voice)
Release Date:28/04/1981
Rising Damp
Character:Workman
Release Date:03/05/1980
The Mirror Crack'd
Character:Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Release Date:06/02/1980
Scum
Character:Mr Duke
Release Date:12/09/1979
Night People
Character:Ted
Release Date:06/12/1978
Freedom of the Dig
Character:Sid
Release Date:23/10/1978
Beasts: What Big Eyes
Character:Duggie Jeb
Release Date:13/11/1976
Bag of Yeast
Character:Teddy
Release Date:22/02/1976
Break In
Character:Dixie
Release Date:06/11/1975
In Sickness and in Health
Character:Mr Jackson
Release Date:21/05/1975
Waiting at the Field Gate
Character:Ted
Release Date:03/04/1975
Flame
Character:Club Owner (uncredited)
Release Date:13/02/1975
Match of the Day
Character:Father
Release Date:18/03/1974
Night Watch
Character:Inspector Walker
Release Date:08/11/1973
Speech Day
Character:George
Release Date:26/03/1973
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
Character:Bert
Release Date:01/02/1973
Bank Holiday
Character:Father
Release Date:02/03/1972
Gumshoe
Character:Tommy Wright
Release Date:01/12/1971
Family Life
Character:Mr. Baildon
Release Date:17/11/1971
After a Lifetime
Character:Uncle Sid
Release Date:18/07/1971
The Rank and File
Character:Billy
Release Date:20/05/1971
Roll On Four O'Clock
Character:Arthur Foster
Release Date:19/12/1970
Kes
Character:Fish and Chip Shop Man
Release Date:03/04/1970
The Big Flame
Character:Landlord
Release Date:19/02/1969
The Golden Vision
Character:John Coyne
Release Date:17/04/1968
Television Appearances
Heartbeat
Character:Harry Capshaw
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
Character:
The Gathering Seed
Character:Billy Eccles
Minder
Character:Police Sgt.
Pennies from Heaven
Character:Alf
BBC2 Play of the Week
Character:Ted
Beasts
Character:Duggie Jebb
The Wackers
Character:Charlie
The Sweeney
Character:Charlie Norton
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
Character:Jack
Playhouse
Character:Painter
Justice
Character:Charlie Keen
Budgie
Character:Dutchie Holland
The Expert
Character:Leslie Stevens
Man in a Suitcase
Character:
Public Eye
Character:Mr. Steadman
Images
