Bill Dean
Known for Acting · 52 credits
- Born
- 1921-09-03
- Died
- 2000-04-20
- Place of birth
- Everton, Liverpool, England, UK
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.
Known For
TV Shows (21)
Play for Today
1970
as Billy
Heartbeat
1992
as Harry Capshaw
Minder
1979
as Police Sgt.
Playhouse
1974
as Painter
The Wednesday Play
1964
as John Coyne
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Ted
The Sweeney
1975
as Charlie Norton
Public Eye
1965
as Mr. Steadman
Justice
1971
as Charlie Keen
The Expert
1968
as Leslie Stevens
The Word
1990
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Uncle Sid
Man in a Suitcase
1967
Budgie
1971
as Dutchie Holland
New Scotland Yard
1972
as Bernard Hobbs
Beasts
1976
as Duggie Jebb
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
1983
Pennies from Heaven
1978
as Alf
The Wackers
1975
as Charlie
Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!
1974
as Jack
The Gathering Seed
1983
as Billy Eccles
Movies (31)
Priest
1995
as Altar Boy
The Mirror Crack'd
1980
as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Rising Damp
1980
as Workman
Going Gently
1981
as Painter
Scum
1979
as Mr Duke
Night People
1978
as Ted
Kes
1970
as Fish and Chip Shop Man
Bank Holiday
1972
as Father
Let Him Have It
1991
as Foreman of the Jury
Night Watch
1973
as Inspector Walker
Freedom of the Dig
1978
as Sid
Flame
1975
as Club Owner (uncredited)
Break In
1975
as Dixie
Beasts: What Big Eyes
1976
as Duggie Jeb
Family Life
1971
as Mr. Baildon
Slayground
1983
as Compere
Hillsborough
1996
as Additional Cast
Gumshoe
1971
as Tommy Wright
The Big Flame
1969
as Landlord
Brookside: Friday the 13th
1998
as Harold Cross
A Turn for the Worse
1981
as (voice)
Waiting at the Field Gate
1975
as Ted
Match of the Day
1974
as Father
Speech Day
1973
as George
The Golden Vision
1968
as John Coyne
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business
1973
as Bert
The Rank and File
1971
as Billy
Skallagrigg
1994
as Old Man
Roll On Four O'Clock
1970
as Arthur Foster
In Sickness and in Health
1975
as Mr Jackson
Bag of Yeast
1976
as Teddy
About 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… With 52 credits spanning from 1964 to 1998, Bill Dean has appeared in 31 films and 21 TV shows.
Fans searching for Bill Dean movies, Bill Dean filmography, or the latest projects starring Bill Dean can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Bill Dean Movies
- Priest (1995) — as Altar Boy
- The Mirror Crack'd (1980) — as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
- Rising Damp (1980) — as Workman
- Going Gently (1981) — as Painter
- Scum (1979) — as Mr Duke
Where to Watch Bill Dean Films
Most Bill Dean movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Bill Dean, check our movies catalogue and browse page.