Ben Cross

Who was Ben Cross?

Harry Bernard Cross (16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020) was an English actor. Harry Bernard Cross was born in London on, to a working class family. He was the son of Catherine (née O'Donovan), a cleaner, and Harry Cross, a doorman. His father died of tuberculosis when Cross was eight years old. Cross was raised in the Tulse Hill neighbourhood of London in his Irish mother's Catholic faith, although his father was a member of the Church of England. Cross started his career by taking manual jobs, including working as a window cleaner, waiter, and joiner. He also worked as a carpenter for the Welsh National Opera, and was the Property Master at The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham.

In 1970 at the age of 22, he was accepted into London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), but later expressed little interest in pursuing the classical arts route.

Historical significance

He was best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire and for playing Billy Flynn in the original West End production of the musical Chicago.