Los Angeles (AFP)
British actor Ben Cross, known for his role in the movie "Chariots of Fire", died Tuesday at the age of 72, we learned from his agent.
"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.
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 over the past week," she added.
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