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{{Infobox person
| name = David Hemmings
| image = Profondo rosso (1975) David Hemmings (
| caption = Hemmings in
| birth_name = David Edward Leslie Hemmings
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|11|18|df=y}}
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| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|director|producer}}
| years_active = 1954–2003
| resting_place = St Peter Churchyard, [[Blackland, Wiltshire|Blackland]], [[Wiltshire]], England
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Genista Ouvry|1960|1967|end=divorced}}
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}}
'''David Edward Leslie Hemmings''' (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director.<ref>{{cite web| author = Erickson, Hal | url = https://movies.nytimes.com/person/93993/David-Hemmings/biography | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120713213936/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/93993/David-Hemmings/biography | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 July 2012 | department = Movies & TV Dept. | work = [[The New York Times]] |title=David Hemmings – About This Person | author-link = Hal Erickson (author) |access-date= 6 February 2012}}</ref> He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, particularly his lead
==Early life==
David Hemmings was born in [[Guildford]], [[Surrey]], to a father who was a biscuit salesman
===Benjamin Britten===
His education at [[Alleyn's School]], [[Glyn Technology School|Glyn Grammar School]] in [[Ewell]] and the [[Arts Educational Schools]] led him to music performance at the start of his career.
Although many commentators identified Britten's relationship with Hemmings as based on an infatuation, throughout his life Hemmings maintained categorically that Britten's conduct with him was beyond reproach at all times. Hemmings had earlier played the title role in Britten's ''[[The Little Sweep]]'' (1952), which was part of Britten's ''[[Let's Make an Opera]]!'' children's production.
Britten's interest in Hemmings ceased
==Acting==
===Child actor===
Hemmings then moved on to acting in films. He made his first film appearance in the drama film ''[[The Rainbow Jacket]]'' (1954). He
Hemmings had bigger roles in ''[[Five Clues to Fortune]]'' (1957),<ref name=ODNB>{{Cite ODNB |last= Spicer |first= Andrew H. |doi= 10.1093/ref:odnb/93009 |title= Hemmings, David Leslie Edward |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-93009}}</ref> ''[[The Heart Within]]'' (1957) and ''[[No Trees in the Street]]'' (1959), directed by [[J. Lee Thompson]]. He
===Teen idol===
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===''Blowup'' and stardom===
[[File:
Hemmings’ luck changed when he was cast in the lead of ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966). It was directed by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], who detested the [[Method acting|"Method" way of acting]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Tomasulo|first=Frank P.|chapter=The Sounds of Silence: Modernist Acting in Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up |title=More Than a Method: Trends and Traditions in Contemporary Film Performance |editor1-first=Cynthia |editor1-last=Baron |editor2-first=Diane |editor2-last=Carson |editor3-first=Frank P. |editor3-last=Tomasulo |year=2004|publisher=Wayne State University Press|location=Detroit MI|isbn=978-0814330791|pages=94–98|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uE5o5gGT83cC}}</ref> He sought a fresh young face for the lead in the film.<ref name=Pomerance>{{cite book|last=Pomerance|first=Murray|title=Michelangelo Red Antonioni Blue: Eight Reflections on Cinema|year=2011|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley and Los Angeles|isbn=978-0520266865|page=263}}</ref> He found Hemmings, at the time acting in small-stage theatre in London, although at their first meeting Antonioni told Hemmings, "
The resulting film was a critical and commercial sensation for [[MGM]], which financed it, and helped turn Hemmings and [[Vanessa Redgrave]] into stars. "I've been discovered half a dozen times," said Hemmings. "This time I think I've made it."<ref>Blow-Up' Role Blew Hemmings Sky High
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Around 1967 Hemmings was briefly considered for the role of Alex in a film version of [[Anthony Burgess]]'s novel ''[[A Clockwork Orange (novel)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' (1962), which was to be based on a screen treatment by satirist [[Terry Southern]] and British photographer [[Michael Cooper (photographer)|Michael Cooper]]. Cooper and [[the Rolling Stones]] were reportedly upset by the move and it was decided to return to the original plan in which [[Mick Jagger]], the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones, would play Alex, with the rest of the Stones as his [[Nadsat|droog]] gang; the production was shelved after Britain's chief censor, the [[Lord Chamberlain]], indicated that he would not permit it to be made.<ref>[[Lee Hill (writer)|Hill, Lee]] (2002). ''A Grand Guy{{spaced ndash}}The Art and Life of Terry Southern''. London: [[Bloomsbury Publishing]]. p. 149. {{ISBN|978-0-7475-5835-4}}.</ref>
Hemmings costarred with [[Richard Attenborough]] in
Hemmings was cast in further lead roles at the start of the 1970s : ''[[The Walking Stick]]'' (1970) with [[Samantha Eggar]] for MGM; ''[[Fragment of Fear]]'' (1970), a thriller; and ''[[Unman, Wittering and Zigo (film)|Unman, Wittering and Zigo]]'' (1971).<ref name=ODNB/> He went to Hollywood to play a supporting role in ''[[The Love Machine (film)|The Love Machine]]'' (1971). Back in Britain he starred in a horror film, ''[[Voices (1973 film)|Voices]]'' (1973). He went to Spain to appear in ''[[Lola (1974 film)|Lola]]'' (1974) and in Britain supported [[Richard Harris]] in ''[[Juggernaut (1974 film)|Juggernaut]]'' (1974).
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===Director===
Hemmings first turned to directing with ''[[Running Scared (1972 film)|Running Scared]]'' (1972), an adaptation of an American novel by [[Gregory Macdonald]] for which Hemmings also co-wrote the script, resetting the story from [[Harvard]] to [[Cambridge University]]. He directed the drama film ''[[The 14]]'' (1973), which won the [[Silver Bear]] at the [[23rd Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1973/03_preistr_ger_1973/03_Preistraeger_1973.html |title=Berlinale 1973: Prize Winners |access-date=1 July 2010| publisher = [[Berlin International Film Festival]]}}</ref>
===Character actor===▼
Hemmings directed [[David Bowie]] and [[Marlene Dietrich]] in the drama film ''[[Just a Gigolo (1978 film)|Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo]]'' (also known as ''Just a Gigolo'') (1978). The film was poorly received, with Bowie describing it as "my 32 [[Elvis Presley]] films rolled into one".<ref name=ODNB/><ref name="The Future Isn't What It Used to Be">MacKinnon, Angus (13 September 1980). "The Future Isn't What It Used to Be". ''[[NME]]''. pp. 32–37.</ref>
Later, after relocating to Hollywood, he directed a number of television films and series episodes.
▲===Character actor===
From the mid-1970s on, Hemmings's acting work was mainly in supporting roles. In 1977 he appeared as Eddy in the film ''[[Islands in the Stream (film)|Islands in the Stream]]'', an adaptation of Hemingway's novel of the same name, starring [[George C Scott]]. He also had support roles in ''[[The Squeeze (1977 film)|The Squeeze]]'' (1977), ''[[The Prince and the Pauper (1977 film)|The Prince and the Pauper]]'' (1977), ''[[The Heroin Busters]]'' (1977), ''[[The Disappearance (film)|The Disappearance]]'' (1977), ''[[Squadra antitruffa]]'' (1977), ''[[Blood Relatives]]'' (1978), ''[[Power Play (1978 film)|Power Play]]'' (1978) and ''[[Murder by Decree]]'' (1979). He also returned to television in 1978 with a film for Granada TV directed by Ken Russell and written by Melvin Bragg: ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'', about Samuel Taylor Coleridge (played by Hemmings), was the second of two films in the ''Clouds of Glory'' series about poets.
===Australia and New Zealand===
In 1979, Hemmings received an offer to play a supporting role in an Australian vampire film, ''[[Thirst (1979 film)|Thirst]]''. He starred in a TV film, ''[[Charlie Muffin]]'' then returned to Australia to feature in ''[[Harlequin (film)|Harlequin]]'' (1980).
Hemmings then received an offer from [[Antony I. Ginnane]] to direct the Australian horror film ''[[The Survivor (1981 film)|The Survivor]]'' (1981), based on [[James Herbert]]'s [[The Survivor (1976 novel)|1976 novel of the same name]], starring [[Robert Powell]] and [[Jenny Agutter]]. Hemmings directed ''[[Race for the Yankee Zephyr]]'' shot in New Zealand.
While in New Zealand Hemmings played roles in ''[[Prisoners (1981 film)|Prisoners]]'' (1981) and ''[[Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1982 film)|Beyond Reasonable Doubt]]'' (1982).
===Hollywood===
Hemmings then moved to Hollywood. He played supporting roles in ''[[Man, Woman and Child (film)|Man, Woman and Child]]'' (1983) and ''[[Airwolf]]'' (1984).
He also worked extensively as a director of television programmes, including the action-adventure drama series ''[[Quantum Leap (1989 TV series)|Quantum Leap]]'' (e.g. the series’ premiere); the crime series ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' (in which he also played characters in several episodes); and two action-adventure series, ''[[The A-Team]]'' and ''
Hemmings also directed the puzzle-contest video ''[[Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link]]'' (1984). He directed (and acted in) the television film ''The Key to Rebecca'' (1985), an adaptation of [[Ken Follett]]'s [[The Key to Rebecca|1980 novel of the same name]]. He also briefly served as a producer on the [[NBC]] crime-drama television series ''[[Stingray (NBC TV series)|Stingray]]''.
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In later years he had roles that included Cassius in the [[historical film|historical]] epic film ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000), with [[Russell Crowe]], and in the drama film ''[[Last Orders (film)|Last Orders]]'' (2001) and the [[spy film]] ''[[Spy Game]]'' (2001). He appeared as Mr Schermerhorn in the historical film ''[[Gangs of New York]]'' (2002), directed by [[Martin Scorsese]].<ref name=Times_obit/>
His
==Recording career==
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In 1967, Hemmings recorded a pop single, "Back Street Mirror" (written by [[Gene Clark]]), and a studio album, ''[[David Hemmings Happens]]'', in Los Angeles. The album featured instrumental backing by several members of [[the Byrds]], and was produced by Byrds' mentor [[Jim Dickson (producer)|Jim Dickson]].
In the 1970s, he was jointly credited with former [[Easybeats]] members [[Harry Vanda]] and [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] as a co-composer of the song [[Pasadena_(song)|"Pasadena"]]. The original 1973 recording of this song – the first Australian hit for singer [[John Paul Young]] – was produced by [[Simon Napier-Bell]], in whose SNB Records label Hemmings was a partner at the time.
Hemmings also later provided the narration for [[Rick Wakeman]]'s [[progressive rock|progressive-rock]] album ''[[Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]'' (1974) – an adaptation of [[Jules Verne]]'s [[science fiction|science-fiction]] novel ''[[A Journey to the Center of the Earth]]'' (1864) – which was recorded live.
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==Personal life==
During his subsequent marriage to de Casembroot, Hemmings continued to have extra-marital relationships with, among others, [[Tessa Dahl]].<ref name=telegraph />
Hemmings was an active supporter of liberal causes, and spoke at a number of meetings on behalf of the UK's [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
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==Death==
Hemmings suddenly died in 2003 at age 62 of a [[heart attack]], in [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]], on the film set of ''Blessed'' (working title: ''Samantha's Child'') after he had performed his scenes for the day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/05/business/david-hemmings-62-a-film-star-in-blowup.html |title=David Hemmings, 62, a Film Star in 'Blowup' | author = Staff | work = [[The New York Times]] |date= 5 December 2003 |access-date= 6 February 2012}}</ref>
His funeral was held at St Peter's Church, in the hamlet of [[Blackland, Wiltshire|Blackland]] near [[Calne]], Wiltshire, where he had
==Filmography==
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* ''[[List of Out of the Unknown episodes#Series 1|Out of the Unknown – The Counterfeit Man]]'' (1965) as Westcott
* ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966) as Thomas
* ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' (1967) as Mordred
▲* ''[[Eye of the Devil]]'' (1967) as Christian de Caray
* ''[[The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968 film)|The Charge of the Light Brigade]]'' (1968) as Captain Nolan
* ''[[Only When I Larf (film)|Only When I Larf]]'' (1968) as Bob
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* ''[[The Key to Rebecca#Film adaption|The Key to Rebecca]]'' (1985)
* ''Down Delaware Road'' (1988)
* ''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV series)|In the Heat of the Night]] (1988)
* ''[[Dark Horse (1992 film)|Dark Horse]]'' (1992)
* ''Passport to Murder'' (1993)
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[[Category:English television producers]]
[[Category:German-language film directors]]
[[Category:
[[Category:People educated at Glyn School]]
[[Category:People educated at Alleyn's School]]
[[Category:
[[Category:20th-century English screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]
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