Chariots of Fire, Star Trek star Ben Cross dies after short illness

LOS ANGELES, Calif .– Ben Cross, an actor who appeared in the Oscar-winning films “Chariots of Fire” and “Star Trek”, has passed away. He was 72 years old.

His representative Tracy Mapes said the actor died of a short illness on Tuesday. The actor’s daughter, Lauren Cross, said her father died in Vienna, Austria.

A family statement called Cross a born showman and artist who was a traveling encyclopedia of music who could “sing anything”.

“He was a man who taught us to accept our feelings, whatever they are,” the statement said. “We are grateful for the time we spent with him. His spirit lives on in our hearts through his words, his music and the love we still feel.”

Cross was a veteran actor who broke through with the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture. He starred as Olympic runner Harold Abrahams in the true story of two British athletes at the 1924 Games.

Cross starred alongside Sean Connery and Richard Gere in the 1995 film “First Knight”. He played Spock Sarek’s father in the reboot of “Star Trek” in 2009 and portrayed Prince Charles in the television movie “William & Kate: The Movie” in 2011.

In other roles, Cross was the main character in the 1997 “Solomon” television miniseries. That same year, he appeared as Captain Nemo in the CBS remake of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”.

Mapes said Cross had just finished filming the horror film “The Devil’s Light” starring Virginia Madsen for Lionsgate. He will play in the next “Last Letter from Your Lover”.

Cross is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.