Emmy-nominated actor passed away at the age of 90

Richard Chamberlain, the Emmy-nominated actor and 1960s hottie who rose to fame in the TV medical drama “Dr. Kildare” and starred in the miniseries “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds,” died at the age of 90, according to publicist Harlan Boll.

Chamberlain died late Saturday in Hawaii after complications after a stroke, according to Boll. “Our beloved Richard is with the angels now,” Variety reported, quoting Chamberlain’s long-time friend Martin Rabbett.

He is soaring to those loved ones ahead of us, liberated. We were extremely fortunate to have known such a kind and caring person. Love is eternal. And our love is supporting him as he embarks on his next exciting journey. Ezoic The beloved actor became an adolescent idol with his breakthrough role as the handsome Dr. James Kildare in the 1961–1966 television series. According to the Guardian newspaper, the 27-year-old actor “looked like he had been sculpted by a loving god out of butter, honey, and grace.”

Born George Richard Chamberlain on March 31, 1934, in Beverly Hills, the actor initially studied painting at Pomona College. But after returning from the Army, where he served as an army clerk during the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to give acting a try. Known as the “king of the mini-series,” Chamberlain became well-known on stage for his roles as Professor Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady,” Captain von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” and Hamlet and Richard II in Shakespeare.

He portrayed Jason Bourne once more in the 1988 miniseries “The Bourne Identity.” Richard’s vast breadth is what makes him so fascinating. In 1988, producer Susan Baerwald told the New York Times, “What makes him such a valuable property is his ability to be different each time out.” Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his roles in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds.” Years earlier, he had received one for “Dr. Kildare.”

For his parts in Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story (1985), Shogun (1981), The Thorn Birds (1983), and the main character in the 1975 television movie “The Count of Monte-Cristo,” he was also nominated for four Emmys over his career. As the public’s enthusiasm in miniseries began to decline, Chamberlain—who had a beautiful singing voice—shifted to the theatre. He portrayed Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway production of “My Fair Lady” and Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of “The Sound of Music.” He reprised his role as de Bricassart in the 1996 television movie “The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.”

He also starred in several films, including The Towering Inferno, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Music Lovers (playing Tchaikovsky), The Three Musketeers, and its sequels. He continued to perform well into the twenty-first century, appearing on programs such as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show, and Touched by an Angel. Because he portrayed romantic leading men in the majority of his roles, he did not come out as gay until he was 68 years old.

“Growing up in the ´30s, ´40s, and ´50s as a gay person is not only not easy, it’s just impossible,” he told the New York Times in 2014. There must have been a terrible problem with me. Even after becoming well-known and everything, it persisted. Chamberlain said it was a great relief after he came out as gay in his 2003 autobiography “Shattered Love: A Memoir.” “I had no fear left,” he said in a 2019 interview. It was a fantastic encounter. People were pleasant, gregarious, and open.