Peter Dean (actor) Peter Dean (actor) Peter Dean (born 2 May 1939) is a British actor, he is best known for his roles as Pete Beale in "EastEnders", Jeff Bateman in "Coronation Street" and Sergeant Jack Wilding in "Woodentop". Dean decided on a career in acting after actress Prunella Scales witnessed him rehearsing Shakespeare in Petticoat Lane Market and advised him to take drama classes. Aged 16 he studied under Joan Littlewood and has been an actor since he was 18. Dean's breakthrough performance was playing criminal 'Jack Lynn' in "Law And Order" (1978). He went on to have roles in television shows
Peter Dean (actor) Beale, an original character in the BBC's new soap opera "EastEnders"; Dean was chosen after the actor who originally auditioned for the role (Leslie Grantham) was selected to play the character Den Watts instead. Dean played the cockney fruit and veg trader from the show's inception in February 1985 until his departure in May 1993. In reality, Dean's contract was terminated following irreconcilable differences with the show's producers. Since his departure, he has publicly slammed the producers for culling his character and did an exposé with "the Sun" newspaper, where he revealed some of the show's secrets and his opinions