Film star Hemmings dies aged 62

ACTOR David Hemmings, who starred in movies such as Barbarella and Blow Up, has died at the age of 62, his agent said yesterday.

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 in Romania on Wednesday.

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 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. 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."

Hemmings began his performing career as a noted boy soprano and composer Benjamin Britten wrote a number of important child parts for him.

He took a number of small roles as a teenager but his "of the time" swinging Sixties look saw him land the lead in Be My Guest in 1965 alongside Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott.

But it was his next movie role in Blow-Up for which he will be best remembered.

The iconic film saw him play a groovy photographer based on David Bailey - who believes he may have unwittingly photographed a dead man.

Scenes in which he photographed a model were listed in Channel 4's 100 sexiest moments countdown.

Other notable performances included Camelot, The Charge Of The Light Brigade and as Dildano in the sexy sci-fi romp Barbarella.

However by 1972 he was turning his attentions to directing work, debuting with Running Scared.