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Bill Dean

Actor

Bill Dean

Born September 3, 1921 in Everton, Liverpool, England, UKDied April 20, 200031 films

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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The best way into Bill Dean's work
Kes posterFirst watchKes19707.4as Fish and Chip Shop ManBullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Scum poster7.1Scum1979The Mirror Crack'd poster6.1The Mirror Crack'd1980Priest poster6.3Priest1995Family Life poster7.3Family Life1971Let Him Have It poster6.7Let Him Have It1991

Filmography

31 films as actor
  1. 1998Brookside: Friday the 13thHarold Cross
  2. 1996HillsboroughAdditional Cast
  3. 1995PriestAltar Boy
  4. 1994SkallagriggOld Man
  5. 1991Let Him Have ItForeman of the Jury
  6. 1984SlaygroundCompere
  7. 1981Going GentlyPainter
  8. 1981A Turn for the Worse(voice)
  9. 1980Rising DampWorkman
  10. 1980The Mirror Crack'dMan in Village Hall (uncredited)
  11. 1979ScumMr Duke
  12. 1978Night PeopleTed
  13. 1978Freedom of the DigSid
  14. 1976Beasts: What Big EyesDuggie Jeb
  15. 1976Bag of YeastTeddy
  16. 1975Break InDixie
  17. 1975In Sickness and in HealthMr Jackson
  18. 1975Waiting at the Field GateTed
  19. 1975FlameClub Owner (uncredited)
  20. 1974Match of the DayFather
  21. 1973Night WatchInspector Walker
  22. 1973Speech DayGeorge
  23. 1973The Best Pair of Legs in the BusinessBert
  24. 1972Bank HolidayFather
  25. 1971GumshoeTommy Wright
  26. 1971Family LifeMr. Baildon
  27. 1971The Rank and FileBilly
  28. 1970Roll On Four O'ClockArthur Foster
  29. 1970KesFish and Chip Shop Man
  30. 1969The Big FlameLandlord
  31. 1968The Golden VisionJohn Coyne