Dean Andrews
Acting

Dean Andrews

Born 6 August 1963 · Rotherham, Yorkshire, UK
+ Follow

Dean Andrews is an English actor. He is known for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC drama series Life on Mars. He continued the role in the sequel series, Ashes to Ashes, until 2010. As of April 2019, he appeared as Will Taylor on ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Andrews left the show on 26 December 2024 when his character Will died of a heart attack. Born in 1963 in Rotherham, Andrews went to Sitwell Junior School on Grange Road and Oakwood Comprehensive School on Moorgate Road. He went to school with Top Gear presenter James May. Dean Andrews started off as a mainstay of cruise ships as a talented entertainer and singer. He was discovered by film director Ken Loach, who was looking for people from Yorkshire to appear in the 2001 film, The Navigators. He then went on to play Barry Shiel in the Channel 4 drama Buried, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2004. That year, he also had a small role, as Neil, in the Channel 4 series No Angels.

Known for

Midsomer Murders
Life on Mars
My Summer of Love
United
Agatha and the Truth of Murder
Ashes to Ashes
Silent Witness
Emmerdale
Dark River
The Navigators
Last Tango in Halifax
Salvage
Torvill & Dean
Agatha and the Truth of Murder
Dark River
The Security Men
Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter
United
Just Henry
Weekender
Kandahar Break
Salvage
Wish 143
Missing
My Summer of Love
Faith
Love + Hate
The Navigators
Dean Andrews · Midrow