Bill Dean

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.

Filmografi

Priest1995 · Altar BoyScum1979 · Mr DukeRising Damp1980 · WorkmanThe Mirror Crack'd1980 · Man in Village Hall (uncredited)Night People1978 · TedKes1970 · Fish and Chip Shop ManBank Holiday1972 · FatherGoing Gently1981 · PainterNight Watch1973 · Inspector WalkerLet Him Have It1991 · Foreman of the JuryGumshoe1971 · Tommy WrightFamily Life1971 · Mr. BaildonFreedom of the Dig1978 · SidThe Best Pair of Legs in the Business1973 · BertThe Rank and File1971 · BillyHillsborough1996 · Additional CastWaiting at the Field Gate1975 · TedMatch of the Day1974 · FatherSlayground1984 · CompereBeasts: What Big Eyes1976 · Duggie JebRoll On Four O'Clock1970 · Arthur FosterThe Golden Vision1968 · John CoyneSkallagrigg1994 · Old ManA Turn for the Worse1981 · (voice)