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Ben Masters, a well-known actor, passed away on January 11 at the age of 75. He was popular for portraying Julian Crane in the famous NBC soap opera, Passions. Actress McKenzie Westmore expressed her grief on Facebook by posting a picture where she was posing with Masters and wrote:
“No words for the loss of my on screen brother! RIP Ben Masters! #BenMasters #restinpeace #nbcpassions #passions.”
Masters died from Covid-19 complications and was also battling dementia for a long time. He was hospitalized at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs.
Ben Masters played the role of Julian Crane in Passions
Ben Masters has played different roles in all these years. However, he gained recognition for his appearance as Julian Crane in the famous NBC soap opera, Passions.
Julian was the son of Alistair Crane and was the acting head of Crane Industries. He tied the knot with Ivy several years ago and was romantically linked to Eve Russell, which led to the birth of a stillborn son. Eve thought that Julian did not know anything about their child and the duo split when the latter met TC.
Julian had many affairs over the years and was threatened by Ivy when she discovered him with the maid Suzanne in bed. He never paid any interest in what was happening to his kids and was shocked to learn that Ethan was not his son. He tried to find the secret Ivy had been hiding from him.
When Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald approached him as she attempted to make him the Crane heir again, one morning Julian discovered he was now married to Theresa. He tried to end the marriage, but Theresa did not agree and Alistair ordered him to kill all three women in his life. However, Julian was instead shot by someone and fell into a vat of boiling tuna, with his fate not revealed.
Passions aired for nine seasons with 2,231 episodes from July 5, 1999, to August 7, 2008. The initial response to the show was mixed, but it improved over the next few years.
Ben Masters was popular for his performances in films and TV shows
Born on May 6, 1947, Ben Masters finished his graduation from Corvallis High School and pursued his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon. He started his career on stage with plays like The Boys in the Band, Captain Brassbound’s Conversion, and The Cherry Orchard.
Masters made his television debut with the NBC show Muggsy, where he played the role of Nick Malloy in 13 episodes. He appeared as Dr. Leo Rosetti in 18 episodes of the ABC medical drama series, HeartBeat. He played important roles in other TV shows like Celebrity, Noble House, and Spy Game.
Ben made his film debut with the 1975 historical film Mandingo. Directed by Richard Fleischer, the film received negative reviews from critics but became a cult classic.
Masters then appeared in other films like All That Jazz, Key Exchange, Dream Lover, Making Mr. Right, Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion, The Shadow Box, Kate’s Secret, and more.
Ben is survived by his sister Cheryl and nieces Hannah and Clea.
