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How did Ben Masters die? Soap opera star who played Julian Crane in 'Passions' dead at 75

Ben Masters starred opposite Ingrid Bergman in George Bernard Shaw's 'Captain Brassbound's Conversion' and Meryl Streep in Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard'
UPDATED JAN 12, 2023
Ben Masters dies at 75 (Direct TV/YouTube screenshot)
Ben Masters dies at 75 (Direct TV/YouTube screenshot)

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA : Ben Masters, who starred as Julian Crane on 'Passions', died at the age of 75 on January 11. In recent years, he had reportedly battled dementia and ultimately died because of complications from Covid-19.

Masters was best known for his nearly decade-long role on the soap opera, 'Passions'. He portrayed the role of the son of multi-billionaire business tycoon Alistair Crane and the heir to the Crane empire. The series premiered on NBC in 1999 and was cancelled by the network in 2007. It was then picked up by DirectTV's 101 Network for its final season. The show ultimately got cancelled in 2008. 

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Masters died at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to Dateline. Masters' co-star Eric Martsolf paid tribute to the star on social media following the news of his death. He wrote, alongside a picture of Masters in a tux, "I snapped this on the last tape day at Passions. He was all smiles, and I'll remember him as such. Thank you for your kindness, and rest in peace, Ben."



 

Masters was born in Corvallis, Oregon in 1947. He pursued his passion for acting at the University of Oregon as a theatre major. He moved to New York to fulfill his dreams and started to succeed by getting high-profile roles both on and off Broadway. 

He was featured in 'The Boys In The Band' Off-Broadway and he starred opposite Ingrid Bergman in George Bernard Shaw's 'Captain Brassbound's Conversion' and Meryl Streep in Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard'. In 1979, he appeared in 'All That Jazz', a classical musical drama. He only had a handful of film roles in the 1980s and '90s. He starred with Pierce Brosnan in the TV mini-series 'Noble House' in 1988. He also appeared in 'HeartBeat', a medical drama. 

In addition to all these roles, he also appeared in 'Another World', 'Murder, She Wrote', 'Touched by an Angel', 'Sisters', 'Diagnosis Murder', 'Walker', 'Texas Ranger', 'Kung Fu: The Legend Continues', 'Dream Lover', 'Key Exchange' and 'Making Mr Right'. He also starred opposite Ned Beatty and Tess Harper in 'Celebrity'.

Masters is survived by his sister Cheryl Lerner, along with his nieces Clea and Hannah Lerner. Per his wishes, there will be no memorial service or funeral, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

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