| Birth name | Dean Howard Smith |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 25 January 1990 (age 36) |
| Birth place | Leeds, England |
| Occupation | Actor · comedian · podcaster |
Dean Howard Smith (born 25 January 1990) is an actor and comedian from Leeds, England. He is best known for playing Philip Ryan in the BBC 1 Drama Waterloo Road.[1] He also played Vinnie Dupe, the geek without chic, in STV's comedy Being Victor, and William, in BBC1's Last Tango in Halifax.[2] Most recently Smith revisited the role of Philip Ryan in the BBC online Drama Waterloo Road Reunited. This series followed seven ex-pupils on life after Waterloo Road.
In 2019, Smith took on the role of DS Yates in Hollyoaks, becoming a corrupt copper on local gangster Liam Donovans payroll. Also in 2019 he starred as Willis in the BBC 1 comedy Still Open All Hours.
Smith takes part in charity events including charity football matches.[3]
In 2011, Smith and fellow Waterloo Road cast members Jack McMullen, Ben-Ryan Davies, Will Ash and actor Tom Gibbons took on the National Three Peaks Challenge.
Smith is patron of 'Once Upon a Smile' charity and takes part in many of their charity football matches.
Smith completed the Great Yorkshire Run in 2011 running for Cancer Research UK.[4]
Smith joined The Square Ball Podcast, which discusses the football club Leeds United, among other topics, in April 2024, as a co-host.[5]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Awaydays | Rugger Bugger 2 | Film |
| 2009 | Cotton Stone | Ian | Short |
| 2009 | Casualty | Tim | TV series |
| 2010 | The Founding | Unicorn Boy | Short |
| 2009–2011 | Waterloo Road | Philip Ryan | TV series |
| 2010 | Doctors | Spanner | One episode of TV series |
| 2010 | Being Victor | Vinnie Dupe | TV & Online series |
| 2011 | Waterloo Road Reunited | Philip Ryan | Online |
| 2013 | The Great Train Robbery | David Whitby | TV series |
| 2014 | Common | Hugo Davies | TV movie |
| 2014 | The Village | PC Derbyshire | 1 episode |
| 2015–2020 | Last Tango in Halifax | William | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | The Last Kingdom | Thief | 1 episode |
| 2018–2019 | Hollyoaks | DS Yates | 26 episodes |
| 2019 | Still Open All Hours | Willis | Series 6 Regular |
| 2019 | Coronation Street | Andy Wingfield | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Emmerdale | Prison Officer Beeker | Guest role[6] |
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Through It All Together | Multiple roles | Leeds Playhouse[7] |
References
- ^ "Character Profiles—Old". Waterloo Road. Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- ^ "Being Victor cast: Dean Smith aka Vinnie Dupe". stv.tv. 23 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- ^ "Celebrity soap stars take on top DJs in charity football match in Bradford". 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- ^ "A star-studded Bupa Great Yorkshire Run". 10 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
- ^ "Members Show: Deano! Deano! Who is Dean Smith? • The Square Ball". 2024-04-08. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ^ Seddon, Dan (4 April 2022). "Here's where Emmerdale fans recognised Meena's prison guard from". Digital Spy. (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Ahad, Nick (29 June 2025). "Through It All Together review – Leeds United drama tackles big themes". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
External links
- Dean Smith at IMDb