Obituary: Richard Chamberlain, actor
Toshiro Mifune (1920-1997, left), as Yoshi Toranaga, and American actor Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne, examine a samurai sword in the TV miniseries Shogun, 1980.
Soap star turned king of the mini series, Richard Chamberlain was an actor whose craft was perhaps never fully recognised. The Beverly Hills-born Chamberlain served in the army in Korea before studying voice and drama. After guest roles in a handful of TV shows and a feature film role, Chamberlain landed the part of compassionate medic James Kildare in Dr Kildare. Driven in part by its star's good looks, Dr Kildare was a massive hit but it also typecast its main actor. Soon after the show ended in 1966, Chamberlain moved to England and was a regular on stage and screen. He returned to prominence on US screens in 1978, starring in the epic Centennial, based on James Michener's novel. Chamberlain followed that by starring in a hit adaptation of James Clavell's novel Shogun. His third and biggest mini-series hit came in 1983 in The Thorn Birds. The adaptation of Colleen McCullough's novel attracted more than 100 million viewers each episode. As the mini series ceased to be a staple of US TV, Chamberlain returned to theatre, showcasing a fine singing voice. In his 2003 autobiography Shattered Love Chamberlain confirmed Hollywood's worst-kept secret, that he was gay. Chamberlain continued to act, appearing in shows such as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel. Richard Chamberlain died on March 29, aged 90. — APL/agencies
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