Bill Dean

Born: 1921-09-03

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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Night Watch

as Inspector Walker
Released: 1973-11-08

A woman recovering from a nervous breakdown tries to convince her husband and and the local...

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Kes

as Fish and Chip Shop Man
Released: 1970-04-03

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother,...

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The Mirror Crack'd

as Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Released: 1980-09-19

Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to...

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Priest

as Altar Boy
Released: 1995-03-24

Father Greg Pilkington is torn between his call as a conservative Catholic priest and his secret...

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Family Life

as Mr. Baildon
Released: 1971-11-17

A young woman, Janice, is living with her restrictive and conservative parents, who lead a dull...

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Scum

as Mr Duke
Released: 1979-09-12

Powerful, uncompromising drama about two boys' struggle for survival in the nightmare world of...

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Let Him Have It

as Foreman of the Jury
Released: 1991-10-04

In 1950s England, slow-witted Derek Bentley falls in with a group of petty criminals led by...

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Rising Damp

as Workman
Released: 1980-05-03

Stingy landlord Rigsby manages to scam his lodgers John, an art student, and Philip, an African...

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Hillsborough

as Additional Cast
Released: 1996-09-11

Drama based on the real life events of April 1989, when ninety-six Liverpool supporters were...

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Flame

as Club Owner (uncredited)
Released: 1975-02-13

Light the Rock 'n Roll spark with a Flame in the guise of Dave, Noddy, Jim and Don and their...

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Gumshoe

as Tommy Wright
Released: 1971-12-01

A would be private eye gets mixed up in a smuggling case.

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Going Gently

as Painter
Released: 1981-06-05

Play about two elderly cancer patients suffering in hospital.

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Slayground

as Compere
Released: 1983-12-01

Stone (Peter Coyote) hits an armored truck without his usual driver. The ensuing getaway leads...

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Speech Day

as George
Released: 1973-03-26

Speech Day is a bit of a laugh if you are not one of nature's prize-winners. But now that...

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Beasts: What Big Eyes

as Duggie Jeb
Released: 1976-11-13

An RSPCA officer is horrified when he discovers a pet shop owner has been conducting experiments...

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Skallagrigg

as Old Man
Released: 1994-03-09

Back in the 'bad old days' when the physically and mentally disabled were locked away in...

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The Rank and File

as Billy
Released: 1971-05-20

Wilkinsons glass-works dominates a Staffordshire town. After a small walkout over pay...

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Bank Holiday

as Father
Released: 1972-03-02

18-year-old friends Todd and Towzer set off by motorbike to spend a Bank Holiday weekend in...

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The Big Flame

as Landlord
Released: 1969-02-19

After a prolonged industrial dispute in the Liverpool Docks, the striking workers reject...

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The Golden Vision

as John Coyne
Released: 1968-04-17

The obsessive supporters of Everton FC forsake wives, families and God to follow their beloved...

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The Best Pair of Legs in the Business

as Bert
Released: 1973-02-01

Capitalising on his remarkable success in On the Buses, Reg Varney took on the contrasting role...

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In Sickness and in Health

as Mr Jackson
Released: 1975-05-21

A hard-working doctor must also carry the burden of a turbulent home life, due to the...

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Roll On Four O'Clock

as Arthur Foster
Released: 1970-12-19

Compelling drama from screenwriter Colin Welland set in a city comprehensive school of low...

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Bag of Yeast

as Teddy
Released: 1976-02-22

When teacher Tony Scannell decides he wants to be ordained as a Catholic Priest his decision has...

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Waiting at the Field Gate

as Ted
Released: 1975-04-03

Lightning Gallat is the village slaughterer and a man of distinction. Where does he draw the line?

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A Turn for the Worse

as (voice)
Released: 1981-04-28

Simon Simpson runs an entertainment agency in Liverpool. At one of his regular auditions in The...

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Match of the Day

as Father
Released: 1974-03-18

Chance has missed the match, but the girls at his sister's wedding might make up for it

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Minder

as Police Sgt.
First aired: 1979-10-29

This comedy drama series featured Terry McCann, a former boxer with a conviction for G.B.H., and...

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Heartbeat

as Harry Capshaw
First aired: 1992-04-10

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly...

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Man in a Suitcase

as uncredited
First aired: 1967-09-27

Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name,...

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The Sweeney

as Charlie Norton
First aired: 1975-01-02

Jack Regan, an unethical officer of the Flying Squad, uses unorthodox methods to pursue...

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Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime

as uncredited
First aired: 1983-10-09

Spirited dialogue, posh Roaring '20s style, and devious mysteries abound as Tommy and Tuppence...

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Public Eye

as Mr. Steadman
First aired: 1965-01-23

Public Eye is a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975. It was produced by ABC...

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The Expert

as Leslie Stevens
First aired: 1968-07-05

The Expert is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1968 and 1976. The series...

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Justice

as Charlie Keen
First aired: 1971-10-08

Justice is a British drama television series which originally aired on ITV in 39 hour-long...

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Beasts

as Duggie Jebb
First aired: 1976-10-16

Beasts is a series of six television plays by Manx writer Nigel Kneale, unconnected but for a...

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Pennies from Heaven

as Alf
First aired: 1978-03-07

Pennies From Heaven is a 1978 BBC television drama serial written by Dennis Potter. The title is...

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Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!

as uncredited
First aired: 1974-09-30

Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt! is an ITV sitcom that ran from 1974 to 1977 starring Bill Maynard...

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The Wackers

as Charlie
First aired: 1975-03-19

Comedy series set in Liverpool about an half-protestant/half-catholic family.

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