Gladiator actor dies of heart attack
Actor David Hemmings who starred in movies such as Barbarella and Blow Up has died at the age of 62, his agent said today.
The star – known for his boyish good looks as a young man – also had a successful career behind the camera directing for cinema and TV.
He suffered a heart attack as he filmed a movie role in Romania yesterday.
Paramedics on the scene tried to treat him but were unable to revive him.
Hemmings turned his back on acting for many years, preferring to work behind the cameras.
But he returned to on-screen work in 2000 playing Cassius in Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator.
He has since been busy with a number of roles including Mean Machine and Last Orders, but was most recently seen in The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen alongside fellow veteran Sir Sean Connery.
Hemmings – who is survived by his third wife Lucy Williams – was working on a film called
Samantha’s Child.
A statement issued by his agent today said: “Sadly, whilst filming in Romania, David Hemmings collapsed suddenly and died of a heart attack. As always, he was accompanied by his wife Lucy.”
Although best known for his Sixties roles, he continued to take a string of movie roles and several US TV films such as Airwolf.
Hemmings also graced a number of European movies such as Italian horror film Profondo Rosso.
Agent Liz Nelson said: “He had just finished his final shots of the day and was going back to his dressing room, as far as we know.
“He had only recently returned to acting. He opted for a number of years to work on his own projects, directing and producing.”
