local time on August 18, British actor Ben Cross (Ben Cross) died of cancer in Vienna at the age of 72.
Ben Cross
Ben Cross’s acting career does not have many starring works, and the classic sports film "Chariots of Fire" released in 1981 can be regarded as one of them. The highlight moment as an actor. The film is adapted from real life and tells the story of the Jewish British track and field athlete Harold Abrahams (Harold Abrahams) and Ian Charleson (Ian Charleson) played by Cross at the 1924 Paris Olympics. ) The inspirational story of teammate Eric Liddell (Eric Liddell) overcoming various disadvantages and winning two gold medals.
"Chariot of Fire" stills, Cross playing Harold Abrams
As soon as the movie opened, it was the scene of the two running and training on the coast of Scotland, full of rhythmic slow motion pictures, With the soundtrack produced by the Greek musician Vangelis (Vangelis), it is one of the most classic film opening scenes in film history. "The sea is cold and bitter, and we are still barefoot." Many years later, Ben Cross recalled, "It's actually ridiculous. Just ask any professional athlete if he can run barefoot in the cold water. You’ll always ask if you’re mentally ill. Of course, filming is different, and the picture effect is really great."
"Chariot of Fire" is produced by David Puttnam, Hugh Hugh Hudson is in charge of the director. In 1982, the film won four Oscars including best picture. When screenwriter Colin Welland took the stage to receive the best original screenplay award, he quoted the classic quotes from the American War of Independence. Warn "Hollywood to be careful of "the British are coming". But for various reasons, in the end, all the creators of this film, including Ben Cross, failed to make a name for themselves in Hollywood.
In fact, after becoming famous, Ben Cross and Ian Chalson never received a more successful project than "Chariot of Fire". The latter's main energy was left to the stage, and unfortunately died of AIDS in 1990. Ben Cross is not too impressed with stage plays, and spends most of his time filming TV series, including BBC work "The Citadel" and ITV mini-series "The Far Pavilions".
"Of all the projects I have received, TV shows are of the highest quality. As for those movie projects, I actually don’t like most of them. I always think that movies have the widest audience, so you must be careful when choosing projects. Shen.” Ben Cross’s remarks may also explain why he basically didn’t make any important works after "Chariot of Fire".
Ben Cross was born in Paddington, London, England on December 16, 1947. His parents were blue-collar working-class workers. His father, who was a doorman, died of tuberculosis when he was eight years old, leaving behind a pair of widows and orphans. , Life is quite difficult. Cross left school and his family at the age of 15 and set foot in society independently. When he was young, he worked as a cleaner, waiter, and carpenter until he was accepted by the Royal Academy of Drama at the age of 22. After graduation, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and embarked on the path of an actor.
The 1976 war film "Distant Bridge" was the first time that Cross was electrocuted, but he only played a roleFew small supporting roles in armored soldiers. After several years of hard work, Cross finally gradually became familiar with the circle. With his excellent performance in the musical "Chicago", he was recommended and got the opportunity to star in "Chariot of Fire".
In order to prepare for the role of Harold Abrahams, a track athlete, he spontaneously conducted devil training three months in advance, and then received a special training for half a year arranged by the crew. And he certainly lived up to expectations. With this role, he and his partner Ian Charson won the honor of Best Newcomer Actor of the Year in Britain, and his performance has also conquered audiences all over the world.
Soon after, the Broadway Screen Actors Guild broke the convention and allowed the troupe to invite Ben Cross to perform in the repertoire. Prior to this, for the purpose of protecting the interests of actors, the theater circles in Britain and the United States set up numerous obstacles. In principle, actors from the other country were not allowed to come to star in stage plays. It was Ben Cross's outstanding acting skills that allowed Broadway, who was eager to seek talent, to break the old conventions. The frequent interaction between British and American theater actors began. In addition, during that period, Cross also became a star in the American advertising industry, successively taking over many endorsements such as American Express cards and Polaroid cameras.
Cross played Spock’s father
in "Star Trek". However, maybe it was Hollywood's rejection of British actors at the time, maybe it was because he was too aggressive, or the agent was not strong enough, in short , Cross's subsequent big screen works still lack enough highlights. He has appeared in films such as "The First Samurai", "The Exorcist", and "Alien 4", but they all only acted as supporting roles, and most of these films themselves are not top-notch. However, Ben Cross never completely left the screen. In 2009 “Star Trek”, he played the role of Spock’s father; in 2011 “William and Kate”, he played the role of Prince Charles.
(Original title: British actor Ben Cross died of illness and starred in "Chariot of Fire")
(Responsible editor: Xu Meiyu_NBJS11310)
