Funeral of Brookside actor Dean Sullivan to take place
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The funeral of Brookside star Dean Sullivan will take place in Liverpool.
The Liverpudlian actor and director, who was best known for playing Jimmy Corkhill in the Merseyside TV soap, died last month at the age of 68.
A service is set to take place at Liverpool Parish Church at 1pm on Tuesday, followed by a private cremation.
A funeral notice, published in the Liverpool Echo, asked for donations, if desired, to be made to Prostate Cancer UK.
Sullivan had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and spoke in 2019 about his treatment and diagnosis to the Mirror.
A statement from Hamilton Management and Sullivan’s family shared last month said: “It is with deep sadness we must tell you that actor Dean Sullivan passed away on November 29, 2023 peacefully following a short illness.
“Dean is best remembered as the longest serving cast member of Channel 4’s groundbreaking Brookside playing the role of Jimmy Corkhill, making Dean a British Soap icon.
“To millions he was and very much still is remembered as Jimmy, to family and friends he was Dino.”
Brookside, the brainchild of Grange Hill creator Phil Redmond, launched in November 1982, with its houses situated in a real cul-de-sac – part of a housing estate in West Derby, Liverpool.
Sullivan later joined in 1986 and soon became a series regular due to the popularity of his character.
The show also launched the careers of dozens of high-profile actors, including Amanda Burton, Claire Sweeney and Anna Friel.
The last episode was filmed in September 2003 and aired in November of the same year – and it was Jimmy Corkhill’s face that last filled the screen.
Sullivan said at the time: “I will miss it but I won’t miss my life being completely controlled by my answer machine. It’s rather like being released from prison.
“Last week I started growing my sideburns and I’ve never been able to do that before.”
Friends and famous faces paid tribute to Sullivan following his death.
Liverpool City Council described the news of Sullivan’s death as “very sad”, adding: “A passionate scouser & champion of our cultural scene, he’ll be greatly missed. Our sympathies to his family & friends.”
Screenwriter Jonathan Harvey hailed the actor’s Brookside character as “iconic”.
Harvey, who is a writer for Coronation Street, tweeted: “I do love a soap icon, and they didn’t come more iconic than Jimmy Corkhill.”
