British actor Ben Cross, best known for his role in Chariots of Fire , died on Tuesday at the age of 72. "Ben died suddenly after a short illness," his agent in Los Angeles told AFP.
Born in London, Ben Cross made his big film debut in 1977 in the war film A Bridge Too Far , alongside Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Noticed in the musical Chicago , he was chosen to play in 1981 in Chariots of Fire an English Jewish athlete, Harold Abrahams, plagued by anti-Semitism in his quest for Olympic gold in 1924.
Very active on the boards
Long remembered for its famous song by Vangelis, the film won four Oscars, including Best Picture, but Ben Cross himself was not nominated. Very active on the stage, he also took on the role of Spock's father in the 2009 Star Trek , directed by JJ Abrams.
He was the father of two children, Theo and Lauren, who wrote on Facebook to be "completely heartbroken" by his disappearance. "He had been ill for some time, but it suddenly got worse last week," she added.
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