Ben Cross Dies: ‘Chariots Of Fire’, ‘Star Trek’ & ‘First Knight’ Star Was 72
He was not on the list.
The veteran stage and screen star passed away this morning in Vienna, his family has confirmed to us.
Cross was born Harry Bernard Cross in London in 1947 to a working class family. He began acting at a young age, participating in grammar school plays, but left school to work as a window cleaner, waiter, joiner and carpenter before being accepted age 22 into London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He excelled at RADA and won the acting school’s prestigious Vanbrugh prize for performance of the year. He would go on to claim a string of key stage roles and made his big screen debut on 1976 World War II epic A Bridge Too Far.
Cross’s path to international stardom began in 1978 with his performance in the play Chicago, in which he played Billy Flynn, the slick lawyer of murderess Roxie Hart. His performance prompted his casting in the Brit classic Chariots Of Fire, alongside actors such as Ian Charleson, Ian Holm and John Gielgud. Based on a true story, the box office smash and Best Picture winner charted the story of two British track athletes, one a Jew who ran to overcome prejudice, and the other a devout Christian who ran for the glory of God, who competed in the 1924 Olympics. For their acclaimed performances as fierce running rivals, Cross and co-star Charleson both won Most Promising Artist of 1981 from the Variety Club Awards.
Cross followed up Chariots of Fire with projects including 10-part BBC drama The Citadel, HBO spy film Steal The Sky and NBC TV miniseries Twist Of Fate. Among notable stage roles that decade were in John Guare’s play Lydia Breeze and opposite Charlton Heston in the revival of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
In 1995, Cross starred as the villain Prince Malagant opposite Richard Gere, Sean Connery and Julia Ormond in Columbia Pictures action adventure pic First Knight, and in 2007, he was cast in the role of Sarek in the then-new Star Trek film directed and produced by JJ Abrams.
Among recent performances were The CW series Pandora and 2018 action movie The Hurricane Heist and the actor wrapped his last role as Cardinal Mathews in Lionsgate horror The Devil’s Light only ten days ago.
In post-production is Netflix romance Last Letter from Your Lover, in which Cross starred with Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn and Callum Turner. The actor had also been cast in development movies including Resilient 3D and Liberty.
Cross, who was married three times, is survived by his wife Deyana Boneva Cross, and his two children, Theo and Lauren.
Filmography
Film
Year , Title , Role , Notes
1977 , A Bridge Too Far , Trooper Binns ,
1981 , Chariots of Fire , Harold Abrahams ,
1985 , The Assisi Underground , Rufino Niccacci ,
1988 , The Unholy , Father Michael ,
Paperhouse , Dad ,
La bottega dell'orefice , Stephane ,
1991 , Eye of the Widow , Nassiri ,
1992 , Live Wire , Mikhail Rashid ,
1993 , Cold Sweat , Mark Cahill ,
1995 , First Knight , Prince Malagant ,
Hellfire , Marius Carnot ,
1997 , Turbulence , Captain Samuel Bowen ,
The Invader , Renn ,
1999 , Tower of the Firstborn , Michael Shannon / Zadick ,
The Venice Project , Rudy Mestry / Bishop Orsini ,
2001 , The Order , Ben Ner ,
2004 , Exorcist: The Beginning , Semelier ,
2005 , The Mechanik , William Burton ,
2006 , Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil , Commander Tim Mackey , Direct to video
Wicked Little Things , Aaron Hanks ,
2007 , When Nietzsche Wept , Josef Breuer ,
Finding Rin Tin Tin , Nikolaus ,
2005 , Hero Wanted , Cosmo Jackson , Direct to video
War, Inc. , Medusa Hair ,
2009 , Star Trek , Sarek ,
2013 , Jack the Giant Killer , Agent Hinton , Direct to video
A Common Man , Morris Da Silva ,
2018 , The Hurricane Heist , Sheriff Jimmy Dixon ,
Television
Year , Title , Role , Notes
1979 , ITV Playhouse , Terry Jones , 1 episode
1980 , The Professionals , Stuart , 1 episode
1981 , The Flame Trees of Thika , Ian Crawford , 4 episodes
1982 , Coming Out of the Ice , General Tuchachevsky , Television film
1983 , The Citadel , Dr. Andrew Mason , Miniseries
1984 , The Far Pavilions , Ashton (Ash) Pelham-Martyn , Miniseries
1986 , The Twilight Zone , Frederick , 1 episode (Segment: “Devil's Alphabet”)
1988 , Steal the Sky , Munir Redfa , Television film
1989 , Twist of Fate , Col. Helmut von Schrader/Israeli Brig. Gen. Benjamin Grossman , both episodes of this two part miniseries
1991 , Dark Shadows , Barnabas Collins , Main cast, 12 episodes
1992 , The Ray Bradbury Theater , Ettil Vyre , 1 episode
1992 , Tales from the Crypt , Benjamin A. Polosky , 1 episode
1996 , Poltergeist: The Legacy , Samuel Warden , 1 episode
1997 , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , Captain Nemo , Television film
1997 , Solomon , Solomon , Television film
2003 , Trial & Retribution , D.S. Taylor Matthews , 2 episodes
2004 , Spartacus , Titus Glabrus , Miniseries
2005 , Icon , Anatoly Grishin , Television film
2006 , S.S. Doomtrooper , Doctor Ullman , Television film
2006 , Hannibal – Rome's Worst Nightmare , Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus , Television film
2006 , Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial , Rudolf Hess , Miniseries
2007 , Grendel , King Hrothgar , Television film
2007 , Species – The Awakening , Tom Hollander , Television film
2008 , Lost City Raiders , Nicholas Filiminov , Television film
2009 , Hellhounds , King Leander , Television film
2010 , Ben Hur , Emperor Tiberius , Miniseries
2011 , William & Kate: The Movie , Prince Charles , Television film
2012 , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Dr. Mindstrong (voice) , 2 episodes
2013-14 , Banshee , Mr. Rabbit , Main cast, 20 episodes
2014-15 , Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja , The Sorcerer (voice) , Main cast, 14 episodes
2018 , 12 Monkeys , Nicodemus , 2 episodes
No comments:
Post a Comment