This cadaverous, intelligent leading man has enjoyed much stage success in his native England, but has only had limited impact in the States. The London-born Cross dropped out of school at 15 to take odd jobs and drifted into backstage work for the Welsh National Opera and the Wimbledon Theatre. After being trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he made his stage debut in a Lancaster production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1973). Cross went on to numerous theatrical productions in the 1970s, both in England ("Privates on Parade", 1977, "Chicago", 1979, "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial", 1985) and in the US ("Lydie Breeze", 1982). He toured worldwide with the Prospect Theatre Company and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977.
After a bit part in the film "A Bridge Too Far" (1977), Cross had his first (and, so far, only) major film hit as the Jewish Olympic hopeful in the UK-made "Chariots of Fire" (1981). He subsequently appeared in disappointments like "The Assisi Underground" (1985), "The Unholy" (1988), "Cold Sweat" (1993) and "First Knight" (1995).
TV has been much kinder to Cross. He has appeared in several TV movies and miniseries, beginning with "Great Expectations" (NBC, 1974). His miniseries in particular have been impressive, and have included "The Flame Trees of Thika" (PBS, 1982), as Dr. Andrew Manson in A.J. Cronin's "The Citadel" (PBS, 1983), and James Clavell's "Gai-Jin" (NBC, scheduled to run in 1996). His turn as vampire Barnabas Collins in the miniseries "Dark Shadows" (NBC, 1991) led to an ill-fated series version.
Profession(s):
Actor, set builder, window washer
Sometimes Credited As:
Bernard Cross
