Chariots of Fireplace actor Ben Cross dies aged 72

Actor Ben Cross, who was ideal identified for enjoying athlete Harold Abrahams in the movie Chariots of Fire, has died at the age of 72.

His associates mentioned he had died “all of a sudden” next a short ailment.

Producing on his Fb page, his daughter Lauren said she was “totally heartbroken” that her “darling father” had died.

She said he experienced been “sick for a when” but there experienced been a “quick drop around the past 7 days”.

Cross, who died in Vienna, Austria, had two kids, Lauren and Theo.

His associates claimed he had just ending shooting horror movie The Devil’s Mild and later on this 12 months will seem in a leading job in the passionate drama movie Very last Letter From Your Lover.

He was born Harry Bernard Cross in London to a performing-course Catholic spouse and children.

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (Rada), he moved from the stage to display screen and took a slight function in the 1977 war film A Bridge Much too Considerably, which starred Sir Sean Connery and Sir Michael Caine.

He became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Business in the exact same calendar year, in advance of getting broader acclaim as Billy Flynn – the attorney representing murderer Roxie Hart – in a 1978 model of Chicago.

It was a effectiveness that was commonly thought to have acquired him his job in 1981’s Chariots Of Fire, which went on to earn 4 Oscars such as finest picture.

Cross performed Jewish runner Harold Abrahams in the film, which was based on the true story of two British guys racing for Olympic gold in 1924.

BBC faith editor Martin Bashir explained Cross’s portrayal of Abrahams had “captured the burden of being an outsider”.

He later appeared as Malagant in the 1995 film 1st Knight and Sarek in the 2009 Star Trek reboot.

Cross also appeared as Rudolf Hess in the 2006 BBC creation Nuremberg: Nazis on Demo.

James Bond star Colin Salmon, who worked on The Devil’s Gentle along with Cross, tweeted: “It was excellent working with him, observing his twinkle & his craft.

“He wrote tracks for the Sinatra of Bulgaria, experienced so a lot of tales & spoke in Bulgarian and German on set. Go Effectively Ben RIP.”

US television and movie director Todd Holland also shared a tribute, expressing he had achieved Cross early in his possess job.

“We shot a monitor take a look at at Pinewood Studios. I went to his household for meal with his relatives,” he mentioned.

“Ben Cross was a beautiful male and talented actor. That movie never obtained made. But… what a stylish dude.”

The Guardian studies he is survived by his spouse, Deyana Boneva Cross.