David Hemmings Biography

David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English singer, actor, producer, and director. In 1967, he established the Hemdale Film Corporation, an independent British-American film production company and distributor. Originally from Surrey, Hemmings was a boy soprano in his childhood and sang several works by the composer Benjamin Britten. He made his screen debut as a child actor and one of his early roles was in the 1957 film ‘Five Clues to Fortune’. His breakthrough role came about in 1966 when he was cast in the film ‘Blowup’. Hemmings was one of the few child stars who successfully transitioned to more mature roles with age. In the 1970s and 1980s, he established himself as one of the most prominent character actors in Hollywood and continued to play important supporting roles in the 1990s and early 2000s. Besides acting, Hemmings maintained a moderately successful musical career. He was a teen idol in the early 1960s and continued to compose songs in the 1970s. As a director and producer, Hemmings had been active on both the big and the small screens. In 1973, he won the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for his directorial venture ‘The 14’.