Antony Hamilton
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| Antony Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1952 Liverpool, England |
| Died | March 29, 1995 (aged 42) (AIDS-related pneumonia) Los Angeles, California |
| Other name(s) | Tony Hamilton |
| Occupation | Actor, Model, Dancer |
| Years active | 1972-1995 |
| Official website | |
Antony Hamilton (4 May 1952 – 29 March 1995) was an Australian actor, model, and dancer.
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, Australia, 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 for instance 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) in the American TV-series Cover Up (1984). As an actor, he is however probably best known for the role of IMF-agent Max Harte 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.
In 1987, Hamilton was reportedly a finalist for the role of James Bond which was ultimately awarded to Timothy Dalton. He reportedly lost the role because of his open homosexuality and at the time it was believed audiences would not accept him as Bond due to his blonde hair.
Hamilton died in Los Angeles, California in 1995 from AIDS-related pneumonia. He was sometimes credited as Tony Hamilton.
