Ben Cross died on Tuesday after a short illness at the age of 72 in the Austrian capital Vienna. The British actor was best known for his lead role in the 1981 sports film Chariots of Fire .
Cross died as a result of an illness, but his family did not want to give further details about this, his daughter writes on Facebook .
The actor starred in the 2009 Star Trek reboot and First Knight , alongside Chariots of Fire .
Cross graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in the 1970s. After that he played various theater roles. His first major film role was in A Bridge Too Far , in which he starred alongside Sean Connery and Michael Caine.
The main role of Cross was in the 1981 British sports film Chariots of Fire , a true story about athletes preparing for the 1924 Olympics. The film won several Oscars.
Cross had been married to Deyana since 2018. He leaves behind two children.