DEAN Sullivan had spoken about Brookside returning to TV in the months leading up to his death.
The star was best known for his portrayal of Jimmy Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap and believed his character is just as relevant today as he was in the eighties.
Dean's agent this morning revealed he had died peacefully following a short illness at the age of 68.
A statement read: "To millions he was and very much still is remembered as 'Jimmy', to family and friends he was 'Dino'.
"Dean's family wants to thank Arrowe Park Hospital for their unwavering and consistent support.
"We ask that you respect their privacy in their time of grief."
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Speaking at the start of this year about Brookside returning, the actor told the Metro: “I think it could work even more so these days because one of the big initial storylines, the Grants were a true working-class family.
“I think there would be a massive appetite for it. If it does come back, who knows?’
He continued: ‘But the thing is what’s great about it, because it’s going to be repeated now on STV Player, there’ll be a whole new generation of fans who will get an appetite for it and maybe start demanding that it does come back. Never say never.”
In August of this year he admitted that if he was to return, he would try to have a better work/life balance.
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He told the Liverpool Echo: "No early morning calls, no getting up at 5am to be in the makeup chair for 7am. None of that. No late night calls either. I could only work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday."
"Sometimes if you had a main storyline and you were busy, you had time for nothing else. You'd be in all day long and then you'd go home with an armful of scripts. I used to just sit at the kitchen table and just learn scripts."
Dean was the longest-serving cast member on Brookside – but he was originally only supposed to be in six episodes as recurring character Corkhill.
Jimmy famously found Trevor Jordache's body under the patio with Eddie Banks, and he also battled drug addiction during the show's run.
In 2019, Dean revealed he had battled prostate cancer but was later given the all-clear.
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