Acting
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.
Filmography
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Film · 1998
Hillsborough
Film · 1996
Priest
Film · 1995
Skallagrigg
Film · 1994
Heartbeat
Series · 1992
Let Him Have It
Film · 1991
The Word
Series · 1990
Slayground
Film · 1984
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
Series · 1983
The Gathering Seed
Series · 1983
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
Series · 1983
Going Gently
Film · 1981
A Turn for the Worse
Film · 1981
Rising Damp
Film · 1980
The Mirror Crack'd
Film · 1980
Nobody's Perfect
Series · 1980
God's Wonderful Railway
Series · 1980
Scum
Film · 1979
Minder
Series · 1979
Night People
Film · 1978
Freedom of the Dig
Film · 1978
Pennies from Heaven
Series · 1978
BBC2 Play of the Week
Series · 1977
Beasts: What Big Eyes
Film · 1976
Bag of Yeast
Film · 1976
Beasts
Series · 1976
Waiting at the Field Gate
Film · 1975
In Sickness and in Health
Film · 1975
Flame
Film · 1975
Break In
Film · 1975
The Wackers
Series · 1975
The Sweeney
Series · 1975
Match of the Day
Film · 1974
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
Series · 1974
Playhouse
Series · 1974
Night Watch
Film · 1973
Speech Day
Film · 1973
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
Film · 1973
Bank Holiday
Film · 1972
New Scotland Yard
Series · 1972
Family Life
Film · 1971
The Rank and File
Film · 1971
Gumshoe
Film · 1971
Justice
Series · 1971
Budgie
Series · 1971
Kes
Film · 1970
Roll On Four O'Clock
Film · 1970
Play for Today
Series · 1970
The Big Flame
Film · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
The Golden Vision
Film · 1968
The Expert
Series · 1968
Man in a Suitcase
Series · 1967
Public Eye
Series · 1965
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964