Dead at 72... R.I.P Dark Shadows Actor 'Ben Cross'

"After a short illness" The Dark Shadows actor passed away yesterday.

The English actor got into acting early in his career and continued until the tragic end. He passed just 10 days after completing his role on the new Lionsgate horror film The Devil's Light.

After graduating from the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Vanrught Prize for performance of the year, Cross jumped right into the film industry. He was honored with the opportunity to make his feature film acting debut in 1977 with A Bridge Too Far. Following that was arguably his most notable performance as an Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in 1981's Chariots of Fire, which won Best Picture that year.

His long, impressive career provided him more than 100 acting credits including TV Episodes in The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Poltergeist: The Legacy and 12 Monkeys. His Feature Film Credits include The Unholy, Nightlife, Hellfire, Temptress, Turbulence, The Invader, Exorcist: The Beginning, S.S. Doomtrooper, Wicked Little Things, Species: The Awakening and the 2009 Star Trek.

We can't forget about his role as a genre icon in the NBC revived Dark Shadows TV show in 1991. Cross took the role of the vampire Barnabas Collin, who had been previously played by Jonathan Frid during the show's original run from 1966-1971.

When confirming his passing to Deadline, his family released the following statement: 

"Today the world has lost a talent, but our family has lost a beloved husband, dad, and grandpa. He was a born showman and entertainer, a walking encyclopedia of music who could sing anything. He was a man who taught us to embrace our feelings, whatever they may be. We are grateful for the time we had with him. His spirit lives on in our hearts through his words, his music, and the love that we still feel. If you would like to remember him, please make a donation to Save the Children. As he would say, support musicians, love each other, do only good."

From a deep place in our hearts, The Bloody Pulp family would like to extend our condolences to Cross's family, friends and fans.