George Stevens Hamilton (1939- ) was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father was George William “Spike” Hamilton, an orchestra leader. His mother, Ann Stevens Hamilton (1910-2004), was once called “a cross between Auntie Mame and Scarlett O’Hara. ” Her son George inherited her adventurous spirit, her ability to laugh at herself, and her good looks.
Both of George’s grandfathers were doctors, and he read medical books from a young age. Although Hamilton aspired to be a doctor, his mother wanted him to be an actor. In 1946 she drove her sons to Los Angeles to live. Although George made his first feature film, Lone Star, in 1952, the family returned to Palm Beach. “Growing up in Palm Beach changed my whole way of looking at the world,” Hamilton told an interviewer. He treated Palm Beach as a second home until his mother’s death.
Hamilton attended Palm Beach High School, but at 17 he returned to Hollywood. He quickly landed a part in Crime and Punishment, USA (1959), one of his two nominations for a British BAFTA Award. He appeared in over a hundred films, including Where the Boys Are (1960), for which he won a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Male Newcomer. He doubled as producer for several films, including Love at First Bite (1979), for which he won a Saturn Award, and Zorro, The Gay Blade (1981).
In both film and television, Hamilton played himself as often as not. He appeared in many television series, such as Dynasty (1985-86), and miniseries, including Roots (1977). Hamilton hosted a talk show, George & Alana (1995-96), with his former wife, and a reality show, The Family (2003-04), filmed in Wellington. Hamilton’s stage performances include Chicago on Broadway in 2001 and 2007.
Famous for his perpetual tan, impeccable style, and charm, Hamilton said, “I am content with what I am, and what I’m supposed to be to people who don’t know me. “