| Antony Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 May 1952 Liverpool, England |
| Died | 29 March 1995 (aged 42) Los Angeles |
| Other names | Anthony Hamilton Tony Hamilton |
| Occupation | Actor, model, dancer |
| Years active | 1972–1995 |
Antony Hamilton (4 May 1952 – 29 March 1995) was an Australian actor, model, and dancer.
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Hamilton was born in Liverpool, England, was adopted by an Australian RAF-hero and his wife soon after birth, and grew up on a sheep farm in Australia. He attended the Scotch College in Adelaide, where dance and ballet was a significant part of the curriculum. Hamilton proved to have a talent for ballet and, after leaving school, he began a career as a professional dancer with The Australian Ballet Company.
In 1972, during a dance tour in Europe with The Australian Ballet, he was "discovered" by a fashion photographer. This resulted in Hamilton soon after leaving the ballet and moving to the USA to pursue a career as a model. During the following 10 years, he worked extensively as a model in Europe, America, Asia and Africa, becoming a favorite subject of world-famous photographers as Richard Avedon and Bruce Weber, often working with famous fashion designers such as Gianni Versace, and frequently appearing in magazines such as Vogue and GQ.
After having worked for a while as a model, Hamilton also began taking acting classes, wanting to expand his career. He eventually got his big break as an actor (replacing Jon-Erik Hexum who died in an accident on the set) in the American TV-series Cover Up (1984). As an actor, however, he is probably better known for the role of Impossible Missions Force agent Maxwell Hart, a former ANZAC commando, in the 1988 revival of the American television series Mission: Impossible, as well as for playing Samson in the 1984 television film Samson and Delilah.
Says Bob Murray, a Hamilton fan and biographer: For all intents and purposes, he was discovered playing Samson. Antony tested for Cover Up using the same scene that Jennifer and Jon-Erik shot in the pilot, where the characters are introduced to each other. He was pretty much cast on the spot. I think this was a time in his career with anyone who had a hand in Antony Hamilton's life decided they were going to push him. This was going to be his catalyst into the spotlight. Douglas Snauffer – The show must go on: how the deaths of lead actors have affected television series (ISBN 0786432950) (pag. 91)
"I'd get up at 5 for Mirrors, be on that set all day, start work on Cover Up at 7 P.M., work until 2 A.M., and then start the whole cycle over again. A couple of times they had to fly me from one set to another by helicopter. At one point, I called my father in Australia to bitch about this backbreaking schedule. Dad said, "Let me tell you a war story. In the Battle of Britain, I fought the Luftwaffe every day from 3 A.M. until midnight. My valet had to get me up after two hours' sleep. He'd be court-martialled if he didn't have my signature on his wake-up slip. And that went on for months. So don't complain, son." I stopped complaining". Antony Hamilton for a magazine, reproduced by IMDb.com
British actor Antony Hamilton, 30, who replaced Jon-Erik Hexum in the recently shelved CBS series COVER UP, has been talking with producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli about replacing Roger Moore, 57 , as James Bond. Broccoli hasn't tendered an offer, says Hamilton, who claims to be undecided about stepping into the role. "It all depends on how Cubby Broccoli conceives the new Bond," contends Hamilton. Some reviews of the latest Bond flick, A View to A Kill, have suggested that Moore is getting too old to play the dashing secret agent. (by Rebecca Bricker) People Magazine, June 17, 1985 Vol. 23 No. 24
Hamilton died in Los Angeles, California on 29 March 1995 from AIDS-related pneumonia.[1] The parents of Antony Hamilton, Donald and Margaret Smith, and his sister Penelope asked that contributions be made in his name to AIDS Project Los Angeles.[2]
All his life, Tony had spent more money than he earned. Now he was broke. While he was hospitalized, his condominium was repossessed by the bank. He was without hope and, by the early 1994, he just wanted to die. That year he got sicker and sicker until he finally did. I am convinced a stronger will to live would have saved Tony. Joe Rothschild – Signals: An Inspiring Story of Life After Life (ISBN 1577311795) (pag. 54)
Toward the end of his life he gave me a photograph of himself signed: "To a brave hero. Love Tony". I asked him what he meant, and he said: "You know, Joel, I'm just not a hero like you. AIDS is a war like any another war, – there will be casualties and heroes".Joel Rothschild – Signals: An Inspiring Story of Life After Life (ISBN 1577311795) (pag. 55)
(...) Antony Hamilton also continued to act, most notably as another spy in ABC's revival of Mission: Impossible from 1988 to 1990. Sadly, Hamilton died of AIDs-related pneumonia on March 23, 1995. Ironically, says Bob Murray, Hamilton's greatest fears in life were the disease that took his life and being forgotten after his death.Douglas Snauffer – The show must go on: how the deaths of lead actors have affected television series (ISBN 0786432950) (pag. 95)
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula | Jimmy | Alternative title: Nocturna |
| 1984 | Samson and Delilah | Samson | Television movie |
| 1984–1985 | Cover Up | Jack Striker | 14 episodes |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Man in Restaurant | Credited as Anthony Hamilton |
| 1985 | Mirrors | Gino Rey | Television movie |
| 1986 | The Hitchhiker | Jim Buckley | 1 episode |
| 1986 | The New Twilight Zone | Simon Locke | 1 episode |
| 1987 | The Charmings | Lionel Davenport III | 1 episode |
| 1987 | L.A. Law | Dan Sapin | 1 episode |
| 1988–1990 | Mission: Impossible | Former ANZAC Sgt. Maxwell Hart | 35 episodes Credited as Tony Hamilton |
| 1988 | Howling IV: The Original Nightmare | Tom | Direct-to-video release |
| 1991 | P.S. I Luv U | Dodger | Television movie |
| 1991 | P.S. I Luv U | Dodger | 2 episodes Credited as Tony Hamilton |
| 1992 | Fatal Instinct | Bill Hook | Credited as Tony Hamilton |