Chariots Of Fire Star Ben Cross Dies, Aged 72
Harry Bernard Cross (December 16, 1947 - August 18, 2020)
Ben Cross, known for portraying track and field athlete Harold Abrahams in the historical drama Chariots of Fire, has sadly passed away at the age of 72, in Vienna, after a short illness. The news of his death was announced on Facebook by his daughter Lauren, who wrote:
‘Dear Fans of Ben Cross. This is his daughter, Lauren. I am utterly heartbroken to share with you that my darling father died a few hours ago. He had been sick for a while but there was a rapid decline over the past week. The press will be announcing his death soon, I just wanted you all—his most loyal and loving fans—to hear it from us first. Thank you for all your support over the years. He really enjoyed interacting with you’.
Ben Cross (born Harry Bernard Cross) was born in London, England on December 16, 1947, to parents Harry Cross, a nurse and a doorman, and mother and mother Catherine, who was also a nurse. Ben took an interest in acting from an early age, and when he was 15, left home and school and worked in a variety of different jobs. He worked as a master carpenter at the Welsh National Opera and property master at the Alexandra Theater.
At the age of 22, Ben was accepted into the London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Once graduated, Ben performed in several stage plays at Duke's Playhouse where he was seen in Macbeth, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. He then joined the Prospect Theater Company and played roles in Pericles, Twelfth Night, and Royal Hunt of the Sun. Ben also joined the cast in the immensely popular musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In 1976, Ben got his first major onscreen role in Richard Attenborough’s epic war drama A Bridge Too Far, which was based on Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name, in which he played Trooper Binns alongside a wealth of acting talent such as Dirk Bogard, Michael Caine, James Caan, Gene Hackman and Robert Redford.
In 1978, Ben’s career turning point began, and he gained particular notice during his performance as Billy Flynn in the renowned musical stage play Chicago and was subsequently recommended for the leading role in upcoming (and future) multi-award winning, biographical drama Chariots of Fire.
Ben Cross a Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire (1981)
Chariots of Fire was an unmitigated success, with its incredibly powerful story and superb performances from Ben and his co-star Ian Charleson in the role of Eric Liddell. It won several awards, including Academy Award for Best Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Film, Academy Award for Writing and Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
Ben followed up Chariots of Fire with several successful performances, most notably in the Masterpiece Theatre miniseries The Citadel (1983), in which he played a Scottish physician, Dr Andrew Manson, struggling with the politics of the British medical system during the 1920s, and his performance as Ash Pelham-Martyn, a British cavalry officer torn between two cultures in the Home Box Office miniseries The Far Pavillions (1984).
From that point on, Ben’s extraordinary career never faltered or lost momentum and his went on to appear in many memorable films and television series, including Paperhouse (1988), Dark Shadows (1991), The Criminal Mind (1993), First knight (1995), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997), Spartacus (2004), Star Trek (2009), Jack the Giant Killer (2013), Banshee (2013-2014), 12 Monkeys (2018), The Rest is Ashes (2020), and many more throughout his established career.
Ben currently has a film in post-production titled Last Letter from You Lover, which is based on the book of the same name by Jojo Moyes. Last Letter from Your Lover is a romantic drama which centers on a young journalist in London becomes obsessed with a series of letters she discovers that recounts an intense star-crossed love affair from the 1960s. It stars Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley and Joe Alwyn.
Stars took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor. Colin Salmon, who had been working with Ben before he left for Vienna, had this to say: ‘Ben Cross and I were working together on #DevilsLight 12 days ago before he headed off to Vienna. It was good working with him, seeing his twinkle & his craft. He wrote songs for the Sinatra of Bulgaria, had so many stories & spoke in Bulgarian and German on set. Go Well Ben RIP.’
Joanna Going posted: ‘I am filled with sadness to learn of the passing of Ben Cross. It was an absolute dream to play opposite him in Dark Shadows. He was elegant, funny, enormously generous to me as a young actress and he will always have a special place in my heart.’
US director Todd Holland also shared a tribute, writing: ‘At the beginning of my career, I met #Bencross while casting a feature. We shot a screen test at Pinewood Studios. I went to his home for dinner with his family. Ben Cross was a lovely man and talented actor. That movie never got made. But... what a classy guy.’
Ben is survived by his wife Deyana Boneva Cross and his children Lauren and Theo. He will be remembered, always, with love, adoration, admiration and deepest respect by his family, friends, fans, acquaintances and those whose lives he touched so greatly. Ben will be sorely missed and our sympathies goes out to all that knew him, at this incredibly difficult and sad time.
“I have great admiration for athletes. They are just like actors in a lot of ways. They have tremendous pressures and conflicts. They have to compete, and they can’t stay home just because they have a head cold.”