Bill Dean

Acting

September 3, 1921 – April 20, 2000 (died at 78)

Everton, Liverpool, England, UK

Male

31 Movies

19 TV Shows

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.

Family Life

1971 7.3

as Mr. Baildon

Age 50 (now 78)

Scum

1979 7.1

as Mr Duke

Age 58 (now 78)

Night Watch

1973 6.3

as Inspector Walker

Age 52 (now 78)

Priest

1995 6.2

as Altar Boy

Age 73 (now 78)

Kes

1970 7.4

as Fish and Chip Shop Man

Age 48 (now 78)

Gumshoe

1971 6.3

as Tommy Wright

Age 50 (now 78)

Let Him Have It

1991 6.7

as Foreman of the Jury

Age 70 (now 78)

Rising Damp

1980 5.6

as Workman

Age 58 (now 78)

The Golden Vision

1968 6.3

as John Coyne

Age 46 (now 78)

The Mirror Crack'd

1980 6.1

as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

Age 58 (now 78)

The Rank and File

1971 6.7

as Billy

Age 49 (now 78)

Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!

1974 6.5

as Jack

Age 53 (now 78) 15 eps

15 eps

The Best Pair of Legs in the Business

1973 6.3

as Bert

Age 51 (now 78)

Pennies from Heaven

1978 7.6

as Alf

Age 56 (now 78) 2 eps

2 eps

Flame

1975 7.3

as Club Owner (uncredited)

Age 53 (now 78)

Slayground

1983 4.7

as Compere

Age 62 (now 78)

Brookside: Friday the 13th

1998 5.5

as Harold Cross

Age 77 (now 78)

Hillsborough

1996 7.2

as Additional Cast

Age 75 (now 78)

Priest

1995 6.2

as Altar Boy

Age 73 (now 78)

Skallagrigg

1994 4.0

as Old Man

Age 72 (now 78)

Let Him Have It

1991 6.7

as Foreman of the Jury

Age 70 (now 78)

Slayground

1983 4.7

as Compere

Age 62 (now 78)

Going Gently

1981 7.5

as Painter

Age 59 (now 78)

A Turn for the Worse

1981

as (voice)

Age 59 (now 78)

Rising Damp

1980 5.6

as Workman

Age 58 (now 78)

The Mirror Crack'd

1980 6.1

as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

Age 58 (now 78)

Scum

1979 7.1

as Mr Duke

Age 58 (now 78)

Night People

1978

as Ted

Age 57 (now 78)

Freedom of the Dig

1978

as Sid

Age 57 (now 78)

Beasts: What Big Eyes

1976 10.0

as Duggie Jeb

Age 55 (now 78)

Bag of Yeast

1976

as Teddy

Age 54 (now 78)

Break In

1975

as Dixie

Age 54 (now 78)

In Sickness and in Health

1975

as Mr Jackson

Age 53 (now 78)

Waiting at the Field Gate

1975

as Ted

Age 53 (now 78)

Flame

1975 7.3

as Club Owner (uncredited)

Age 53 (now 78)

Match of the Day

1974

as Father

Age 52 (now 78)

Night Watch

1973 6.3

as Inspector Walker

Age 52 (now 78)

Speech Day

1973 9.0

as George

Age 51 (now 78)

The Best Pair of Legs in the Business

1973 6.3

as Bert

Age 51 (now 78)

Bank Holiday

1972

as Father

Age 50 (now 78)