RIP: DAUGHTER ANNOUNCES VETERAN ACTOR'S DEATH: "WE JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO HEAR IT FROM US FIRST..."

Ben Cross was quite famous for his portrayal of British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in “Chariots of Fire". He has now passed away at the age of 72. Sharing the news on his social media platform, it was his daughter who mentioned she wanted her father's fans to know it from the family first.

She wrote, "Dear Fans of Ben Cross. This is his daughter, Lauren. I am utterly heartbroken to share with you that my darling father died a few hours ago. He had been sick for a while but there was a rapid decline over the past week. The press will be announcing his death soon, I just wanted you all—his most loyal and loving fans—to hear it from us first. Thank you for all your support over the years. He really enjoyed interacting with you. 💔"

His acting career started in 1972, and in 1981, he gained international attention when he played British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in “Chariots Of Fire.” The film went on to win four of seven Oscar nominations. Also, he played Spock’s father, Sarek, in the first reboot of the Star Trek film series by J.J. Abrams.