Bill Dean
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Play for Today
Billy
1970
Series
Heartbeat
Harry Capshaw
1992
Series
Minder
Police Sgt.
1979
Series
The Wednesday Play
John Coyne
1964
Series
Playhouse
Painter
1974
Series
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Uncle Sid
1969
Series
The Sweeney
Charlie Norton
1975
Series
The Expert
Leslie Stevens
1968
Series
New Scotland Yard
Bernard Hobbs
1972
Series
Public Eye
Mr. Steadman
1965
Series
Justice
Charlie Keen
1971
Series
BBC2 Play of the Week
Ted
1977
Series
The Word
1990
Series
Budgie
Dutchie Holland
1971
Series
Man in a Suitcase
1967
Series
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
1983
Series
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
Mr Hove
1983
Series
Beasts
Duggie Jebb
1976
Series
Pennies from Heaven
Alf
1978
Film
The Mirror Crack'd
Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
1980
Film
Scum
Mr Duke
1979
Series
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
Jack
1974
Film
Kes
Fish and Chip Shop Man
1970
Film
Priest
Altar Boy
1995
Series
The Wackers
Charlie
1975
Film
Let Him Have It
Foreman of the Jury
1991
Series
The Gathering Seed
Billy Eccles
1983
Film
Night Watch
Inspector Walker
1973
Nobody's Perfect
Mr Barrington
1980
Film
Rising Damp
Workman
1980
Film
Going Gently
Painter
1981
Film
Freedom of the Dig
Sid
1978
Film
A Turn for the Worse
(voice)
1981
Film
Gumshoe
Tommy Wright
1971
Film
The Rank and File
Billy
1971
Film
Bank Holiday
Father
1972
Film
Roll On Four O'Clock
Arthur Foster
1970
Film
Night People
Ted
1978
Film
Hillsborough
Additional Cast
1996
Film
Flame
Club Owner (uncredited)
1975
Film
Waiting at the Field Gate
Ted
1975
Film
Match of the Day
Father
1974
Film
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
Bert
1973
Film
Break In
Dixie
1975
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Harold Cross
1998
Film
Beasts: What Big Eyes
Duggie Jeb
1976
Film
Family Life
Mr. Baildon
1971
Film
In Sickness and in Health
Mr Jackson
1975
Film
Slayground
Compere
1984
Film
The Big Flame
Landlord
1969
Film
Speech Day
George
1973
Film
Skallagrigg
Old Man
1994
Film
The Golden Vision
John Coyne
1968
Film
Bag of Yeast
Teddy
1976