Bill Dean

Person

Bill Dean

Acting September 3, 1921

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 Wi…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

Play for Today

Play for Today

6.6 1970 TV Show
Kes

Kes

7.4 1970 Movie
Minder

Minder

7.1 1979 TV Show
Heartbeat

Heartbeat

7.2 1992 TV Show
The Sweeney

The Sweeney

8.1 1975 TV Show
The Mirror Crack'd

The Mirror Crack'd

6.1 1980 Movie
The Wednesday Play

The Wednesday Play

5.2 1964 TV Show
Scum

Scum

7.1 1979 Movie
Playhouse

Playhouse

7.0 1974 TV Show
ITV Saturday Night Theatre

ITV Saturday Night Theatre

7.0 1969 TV Show
Priest

Priest

6.3 1995 Movie
The Expert

The Expert

9.0 1968 TV Show

Biography

A closer look

Read full biography

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

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 1998
    Brookside: Friday the 13th

    Movie Harold Cross

  2. 1996
    Hillsborough

    Movie Additional Cast

  3. 1995
    Priest

    Movie Altar Boy

  4. 1994
    Skallagrigg

    Movie Old Man

  5. 1992
    Heartbeat

    TV show Harry Capshaw

  6. 1991
    Let Him Have It

    Movie Foreman of the Jury

  7. 1990
    The Word

    TV show

  8. 1984
    Slayground

    Movie Compere

  9. 1983
    Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime

    TV show

  10. 1983
    The Gathering Seed

    TV show Billy Eccles

  11. 1981
    Going Gently

    Movie Painter

  12. 1981
    A Turn for the Worse

    Movie (voice)

  13. 1980
    Rising Damp

    Movie Workman

  14. 1980
    The Mirror Crack'd

    Movie Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

  15. 1979
    Minder

    TV show Police Sgt.

  16. 1979
    Scum

    Movie Mr Duke

More credits
  1. 1978
    Night People

    Movie Ted

  2. 1978
    Freedom of the Dig

    Movie Sid

  3. 1978
    Pennies from Heaven

    TV show Alf

  4. 1977
    BBC2 Play of the Week

    TV show Ted

  5. 1976
    Beasts: What Big Eyes

    Movie Duggie Jeb

  6. 1976
    Beasts

    TV show Duggie Jebb

  7. 1976
    Bag of Yeast

    Movie Teddy

  8. 1975
    Break In

    Movie Dixie

  9. 1975
    In Sickness and in Health

    Movie Mr Jackson

  10. 1975
    Waiting at the Field Gate

    Movie Ted

  11. 1975
    The Wackers

    TV show Charlie

  12. 1975
    Flame

    Movie Club Owner (uncredited)

  13. 1975
    The Sweeney

    TV show Charlie Norton

  14. 1974
    Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!

    TV show Jack

  15. 1974
    Match of the Day

    Movie Father

  16. 1974
    Playhouse

    TV show Painter

  17. 1973
    Night Watch

    Movie Inspector Walker

  18. 1973
    Speech Day

    Movie George

  19. 1973
    The Best Pair of Legs in the Business

    Movie Bert

  20. 1972
    New Scotland Yard

    TV show Bernard Hobbs

  21. 1972
    Bank Holiday

    Movie Father

  22. 1971
    Gumshoe

    Movie Tommy Wright

  23. 1971
    Family Life

    Movie Mr. Baildon

  24. 1971
    Justice

    TV show Charlie Keen