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