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.

Most Known For

Minder

as Police Sgt.

Heartbeat

as Harry Capshaw

Playhouse

as Painter

The Sweeney

as Charlie Norton

Justice

as Charlie Keen

Public Eye

as Mr. Steadman

The Expert

as Leslie Stevens

Priest

as Altar Boy

BBC2 Play of the Week

as Ted

Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime

Man in a Suitcase

Going Gently

as Painter

Scum

as Mr Duke

Night People

as Ted

Budgie

as Dutchie Holland

Bank Holiday

as Father

Rising Damp

as Workman

The Mirror Crack'd

as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

Kes

as Fish and Chip Shop Man

Beasts

as Duggie Jebb