Ben Cross

Ben Cross was born Harry Bernard Cross on December 16, 1947, in London, England. He was the son of Catherine (O’Donovan), a cleaning woman, from Keelraheen, Dunmanway, Ireland, and Harry Cross, an English doorman and nurse. He began acting at a very young age and participated in grammar school plays — most notably playing ‘Jesus’ in a school pageant at age twelve.Ben left home and school at age 15 and worked various jobs, including work as a window washer, waiter and carpenter. He was master carpenter for the Welsh National Opera and property master at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, England. Driven by his desire to be an actor, Ben accepted and overcame the enormous challenges and obstacles that came with the profession. In 1970, at age 22, he was accepted into London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) — the alma mater of legendary actors such as Sir John Gielgud, Glenda Jackson and Sir Anthony Hopkins.Upon graduation from RADA, 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 Theatre 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’ and played leading roles in Peter Shaffer’s ‘Equurs’, ‘Mind Your Head’ and the musical ‘Irma La Douce’ — all at Leicester’s Haymarket Theatre.In 1976, Ben’s debut screen appearance came when he went on location to Deventer, Holland, to play Trooper Binns in Joseph E. Levine’s World War II epic A Bridge Too Far (1977), which starred a very famous international cast — namely Dirk Bogarde, Sir Sean Connery, Sir Michael Caine and James Caan. In 1977, Ben became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and performed in the premier of ‘Privates on Parade’ as Kevin Cartwright and played Rover in a revival of a Restoration play titled ‘Wild Oats’.Ben’s path to international stardom began in 1978 with his extraordinary performance in the musical ‘Chicago’ in which he played Billy Flynn, the slick lawyer of murderess Roxie Hart. During his performance in this musical, he was recognized and recommended for a leading role in the multiple Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire (1981). The major success of Chariots of Fire (1981) opened the doors to the international film market. Ben followed up Chariots of Fire (1981) with strong and 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 Pavilions (1984). During the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, Ben appeared in a commercial for American Express with Jackson Scholz, a sprinter for the 1924 American Olympic team whose character was featured in the film Chariots of Fire (1981). In 1986, he subsequently replaced James Garner as the featured actor endorsing the Polaroid Spectra camera. Ben was also featured in GQ Magazine as one of the annual ‘Manstyle’ winners in January 1985, followed by a featured photo shoot in March 1985.Having stuck by his desire to choose quality roles over monetary potential, Ben enjoyed long-term success in the film industry, for over 40 years. He played several outstanding roles including his portrayal of Solomon, one of the most fascinatingly complex characters of the Bible, in the Trimark Pictures production Solomon (1997). Other outstanding roles included his Barnabus in the MGM remake of the miniseries Dark Shadows (1991); Sir Harold Pearson in the Italian production Honey Sweet Love… (1994); Ikey Solomon in the Australian production The Potato Factory (2000); and his role as Rudolf Hess in the BBC production Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial (2006).Ben was a director, writer and musician, as well. Among many of his original works is the musical ‘Rage’ about Ruth Ellis, which was performed in various regional towns in the London area. He also starred in it and played the role of the hangman. Ben’s first single as a lyricist was released by Polydor Records in the late 1970s and was titled ‘Mickey Moonshine’. Other works include ‘The Best We’ve Ever Had’ and ‘Nearly Midnight’, both written by Ben and directed by his son, Theo Cross. In addition, the original soundtrack for ‘Nearly Midnight’ was written, produced and performed by his daughter, Lauren Cross. These works were performed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2002 and 2003, respectively. ‘Square One’, directed by Ben, was performed at the Etcetera Theatre in London in 2004.Ben resided all over the world, including London, Los Angeles, New York, Southern Spain, Vienna and Sofia. He was familiar with the Spanish, Italian and German languages and enrolled in a course studying Bulgarian. When he was not filming, he wrote music, screenplays and articles for English language publications. Ben Cross died at age 72 of cancer on August 18, 2020 in Vienna, Austria.