1921-09-03 Everton, Liverpool, England, UK
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.
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Brookside: Friday the 13th | Harold Cross | 1998-11-14 |
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Hillsborough | Additional Cast | 1996-09-11 |
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Priest | Altar Boy | 1995-03-24 |
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Skallagrigg | Old Man | 1994-03-09 |
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Let Him Have It | Foreman of the Jury | 1991-10-04 |
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Slayground | Compere | 1983-12-01 |
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A Turn for the Worse | (voice) | 1981-04-28 |
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Going Gently | Painter | 1981-06-05 |
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The Mirror Crack'd | Man in Village Hall (uncredited) | 1980-09-19 |
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Rising Damp | Workman | 1980-05-03 |
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Scum | Mr Duke | 1979-09-12 |
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Beasts: What Big Eyes | Duggie Jeb | 1976-11-13 |
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Bag of Yeast | Teddy | 1976-02-22 |
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Flame | Club Owner (uncredited) | 1975-02-13 |
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In Sickness and in Health | Mr Jackson | 1975-05-21 |
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Waiting at the Field Gate | Ted | 1975-04-03 |
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Match of the Day | Father | 1974-03-18 |
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Night Watch | Inspector Walker | 1973-11-08 |
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Speech Day | George | 1973-03-26 |
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The Best Pair of Legs in the Business | Bert | 1973-02-01 |
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Bank Holiday | Father | 1972-03-02 |
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After a Lifetime | Uncle Sid | 1971-07-18 |
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Family Life | Mr. Baildon | 1971-11-17 |
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The Rank and File | Billy | 1971-05-20 |
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Gumshoe | Tommy Wright | 1971-12-01 |
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Roll On Four O'Clock | Arthur Foster | 1970-12-19 |
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Kes | Fish and Chip Shop Man | 1970-04-03 |
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The Big Flame | Landlord | 1969-02-19 |
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The Golden Vision | John Coyne | 1968-04-17 |
