Ben Cross (born 16 December 1947) is an English actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.
Cross was born Harry Bernard Cross in London to a Roman Catholic family; his mother was a cleaning woman and his father a 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 12.
He attended Devonport High School for Boys but was bullied by a teacher and left home at 15. He worked in various jobs including work as a window cleaner, waiter and carpenter. He was master carpenter for the Welsh National Opera and 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 Arts (RADA) - the alma mater of actors such as John Gielgud, Glenda Jackson and Anthony Hopkins, but later expressed little interest in pursuing the classical route.
Hellfire (as Marius Carnot) - 1995
First Night (as Prince Malagant) - 1995
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (as Captain Nemo) - 1997
The Invader (as Renn) - 1997
Solomon (as Solomon) - 1997
Tower of the Firstborn (as Michael Shannon / Zadick) - 1998
The Potato Factory (as Ikey Solomon) - 2000
She Me and Her (as David Greenbaum) - 2002
The Mechanik (as William Burton) - 2005
When Nietzsche Wept (as Josef Breuer) - 2007
Finding Rin Tin Tin (as Nikolaus) - 2007
Cross is a director, writer and musician as well. He has written music, screenplays and articles for English language publications and has also has written the lyrics for an album with "Bulgaria's Frank Sinatra", singer Vasil Petrov, which will be released in late 2007. He also sang two Sinatra songs with Petrov in the Apollonia Festival at the Black Sea in September 2007. 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 part of the hangman. Cross'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 Cross and directed by his son Theo. In addition, the original soundtrack for Nearly Midnight was written, produced and performed by his daughter Lauren. These works were performed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Square One, directed by Cross, was performed at the Etcetera Theatre in London in 2004.
