Bill Dean
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Bill Dean (born Patrick Anthony Connolly, 3 September 1921 – 20 April 2000) was an English actor who was born in Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire. He took his stage name in honour of Everton football legend William 'Dixie' Dean.


Biography

Dean served in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, seeing action in North Africa and Italy. His stage name was apparently inspired by being present when an Italian prisoner of war who had been captured by British troops in the Western Desert, told his captors "fuck your
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and fuck your Dixie Dean", the latter being the well-known Everton footballer of the day. He worked variously as a tram driver, pipe fitter, insurance agent, ship's steward, docker and local government officer, while also appearing as a stand-up comedian in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
clubs and pubs, before making his breakthrough in
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...
's '' The Golden Vision''. Other work with Loach followed, including a leading role in the film '' Family Life'' (1971). Dean was most notable in his later years for playing miserly Harry Cross in the soap opera '' Brookside''. He joined the soap in 1983, a year after its inception, and remained there for seven years before departing in 1990. He returned in a cameo for the Brookside Video 'Friday the 13th' in 1998 having his lawn driven over, He briefly returned to the series in 1999 for three episodes, when his character re-appeared in Brookside Close suffering from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
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. He also made appearances in numerous other UK soaps and dramas including, '' When the Boat Comes In'', '' The Sweeney'', '' Minder'', '' Juliet Bravo'' and '' Heartbeat,'' in which he appeared as Harry Capshaw, the ring leader of a group of badger baiters. His stage work included roles in Trevor Griffiths' play ''
Comedians A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who ...
'' at The Old Vic, and
Howard Brenton Howard John Brenton FRSL (born 13 December 1942) is an English playwright and screenwriter, often ranked alongside contemporaries such as Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, and David Hare. Early years Brenton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, so ...
's '' The Churchill Play'' with the Nottingham Playhouse and then the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
. Dean also appeared in the video for the single "
Groovy Train "Groovy Train" was the second single released by Liverpool-based group The Farm (British band), The Farm. It was released in 1990 as the first single from their debut album ''Spartacus (The Farm album), Spartacus'' (which would be released in 1 ...
" by
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
band The Farm. He also appeared in the films '' Kes'', '' Scum'', '' Nightwatch'' and '' Let Him Have It.''


Filmography


Television


Film

*'' Murder Ahoy!'' (1964) – Police Constable (uncredited) *'' Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines'' (1965) – German Mechanic (uncredited) *'' Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition'' (1968) ''–'' Liverpool delegate *'' Kes'' (1969) – Fish and Chip Shop Man *'' Gumshoe'' (1971) – Tommy *'' Family Life'' (1971) – Mr. Baildon *'' The Best Pair of Legs in the Business'' (1973) – Bert *'' Night Watch'' (1973) – Inspector Walker *''
Flame A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasm ...
'' (1975) – Club Owner (uncredited) *'' Scum'' (1979) – Duke *'' Rising Damp'' (1980) – Workman *'' The Mirror Crack'd'' (1980) – 1st Man in Village Hall (uncredited) *'' Slayground'' (1983) – Compére *'' Let Him Have It'' (1991) – Foreman of the Jury *''
Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
'' (1994) – Altar boy


Personal life

Dean was married, and had three children: two sons, one daughter. Having been ill for some time he suffered a heart attack and, on 20 April 2000, died at the Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, aged 78.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Bill 1921 births 2000 deaths English male film actors English male soap opera actors Male actors from Liverpool 20th-century English male actors Royal Air Force personnel of World War II