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American Military News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Richard Chamberlain, who soared to fame as Dr. Kildare on TV and gained acclaim in ‘Shogun,' dies
Richard Chamberlain, who soared to fame as the handsome young Dr. Kildare on television in the early 1960s and two decades later reignited his TV stardom as a seasoned leading man in the highly rated miniseries 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds,' has died. He was 90. A Los Angeles native, Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications from a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. 'Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us,' Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement reported by Associated Press. 'How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.' American actor Richard Chamberlain points while standing behind actor Yoko Shimada, as actor Toshiro Mifune (1920 – 1997) looks on, from the TV miniseries 'Shogun,' in 1980. (/TNS) In a six-decade career that spanned television, movies and theater, Chamberlain played a wide variety of roles — including Hamlet and Professor Henry Higgins on stage and a swashbuckling French musketeer and a frontier America trapper on screen. 'I need to do theater. If I don't, I feel something is missing,' Chamberlain told The Times in 1984. 'But I love doing television and movies too. And I think I've shown that an actor can do all three. 'As I've said before, the fun in acting is playing different roles. If you're just going to play one role all your life, you might as well be selling insurance.' Chamberlain was a virtual unknown with a limited number of TV guest shots and a low-budget movie to his credit when he was cast by MGM as Dr. Kildare in the hour-long medical drama. As Dr. James Kildare, an idealistic young intern at Blair General Hospital, Chamberlain starred opposite Raymond Massey as his wise medical mentor, Dr. Leonard Gillespie. 'The series may be among the solid hits of the season,' predicted Cecil Smith, The Times' late TV columnist, shortly after 'Dr. Kildare' made its debut in 1961. 'Chamberlain is an agreeable, attractive young actor with great warmth; he's an ideal foil for the expert Massey, one of the finest actors of our time.' Overnight, the tall, blond, blue-eyed, 27-year-old former college sprinter, who later admitted to being 'as green as grass' as an actor, became a teen idol and a fan-magazine favorite who was soon generating up to 12,000 fan letters a week. 'Dr. Kildare,' which premiered on NBC the same season as another popular medical drama on ABC, 'Ben Casey,' starring Vince Edwards, ran for five years. During his time off from the series, Chamberlain starred in two movies: as a trial lawyer in the 1963 courtroom drama 'Twilight of Honor,' and opposite Yvette Mimieux in the 1965 dramatic love story 'Joy in the Morning.' But his role as the noble TV doctor remained his greatest claim to fame at the time, his popularity generating comic books, trading cards, a board game, a doll and other merchandise bearing his white-coated 'Kildare' likeness. Chamberlain's weekly TV exposure also led to a brief side career as a recording artist, one that revealed a pleasing baritone on releases that included the album 'Richard Chamberlain Sings.' 'Kildare had been an incredible break for me, and a grand, if grueling, rocket ride,' the actor recalled in his 2003 memoir, 'Shattered Love.' 'Though I was considered more a heartthrob than a serious actor, it had put me on the map.' That point was driven home during a luncheon gathering at Massey's home when veteran English actor Cedric Hardwicke told him, 'You know, Richard, you've become a star before you've had a chance to learn to act.' After his five-season run on 'Dr. Kildare,' Chamberlain turned down a number of new TV-series offers, preferring instead to concentrate on theater and film. His first attempt on Broadway — in a troubled 1966 production of a musical version of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' with Mary Tyler Moore — ended when producer David Merrick pulled the plug on the much-anticipated musical's opening after only four preview performances in New York. Chamberlain went on to appear in what he called his first serious film, playing Julie Christie's occasionally violent husband in 'Petulia,' a 1968 drama directed by Richard Lester. Determined to obtain 'some solid acting training,' he moved to England, where he immediately was cast in a 1968 six-hour BBC production of Henry James' novel 'The Portrait of a Lady.' Instead of joining an acting academy in London, as he had planned, Chamberlain received what he referred to as on-the-job training during his more than four years living in England. Indeed, 'The Portrait of a Lady' led to a challenging, most unlikely role for TV's Dr. Kildare: Hamlet. His performance in the BBC production of the James novel had drawn the attention of the well-known Birmingham Repertory Company, which was looking for a known actor who could fill seats for its upcoming production of the Shakespeare tragedy. After undergoing long and intensive rehearsals, Chamberlain said he was amazed when most of the London critics gave him 'quite good' reviews. He later went on to play Hamlet in a different production for Hallmark Television. 'Having graduated from pretty boy to actor, I was at last taken seriously, and it was an exhilarating experience,' he wrote. Chamberlain appeared in director Bryan Forbes' 1969 film 'The 'Madwoman of Chaillot,' starring Katharine Hepburn, and he starred as the Russian composer Tchaikovsky opposite Glenda Jackson in director Ken Russell's 1970 film 'The Music Lovers.' Among his other film credits in the '70s were 'The Three Musketeers' (1973), 'The Towering Inferno' (1974) and 'The Last Wave' (1977). Chamberlain's early work on the American stage included starring in the Seattle Repertory Theater's 1971 production of Shakespeare's 'Richard II,' a performance deemed by Times theater critic Dan Sullivan as 'an astonishingly accomplished one.' And his 1973 starring role in 'Cyrano de Bergerac' at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles earned him a Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award. Over the years, Chamberlain starred on Broadway four times, all in revivals: as the Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon in 'The Night of the Iguana' (1976-77), as Charles in 'Blithe Spirit' (1987), as Professor Henry Higgins in 'My Fair Lady' (1993-94) and as Captain Georg von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' (1999). On television, his leading role in the 1975 TV movie 'The Count of Monte Cristo' earned him the first of his four Emmy nominations. But it was a string of TV miniseries that would give him his biggest post-'Dr. Kildare' career highs, beginning with his role as Alexander McKeag, a bearded Scottish trapper, in 'Centennial,' a star-studded 12-episode historical epic that aired on NBC in 1978-79. Then, in 1980, came his starring role in 'Shogun,' an NBC miniseries set in feudal Japan in the year 1600. As John Blackthorne, a shipwrecked English navigator who is taken prisoner, he becomes involved in a battle among warlords seeking to become Japan's supreme military ruler and falls in love with his married interpreter. Chamberlain was unprepared for the response to his role in the critically acclaimed, highly rated miniseries. 'I'd forgotten about being besieged in supermarkets,' he told The Times in 1981. 'I used to get it during my 'Dr. Kildare' days, but then it stopped and I forgot about it. Now it's started all over again.' In the 1983 ABC miniseries 'The Thorn Birds,' he played Father Ralph, an ambitious Catholic priest who struggles with his vows after falling in love with the beautiful young niece (played by Rachel Ward) of the wealthy matriarch of a sprawling Australian sheep ranch (Barbara Stanwyck). Dubbed the 'king of the miniseries,' Chamberlain won Golden Globes and received Emmy nominations for his performances in both 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds.' He went on to earn another Emmy nomination as the star of the two-part 'Wallenberg: A Hero's Story' on NBC in 1985, in which he played a Swedish diplomat in Budapest who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. Born George Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain was named after his grandfather but was always called Dick or Richard. He and his older brother Bill grew up in Beverly Hills, in a three-bedroom house in what Chamberlain called 'the wrong side of Wilshire Boulevard.' His mother was a housewife. His father, a salesman for a small company that manufactured grocery-store fixtures, was an alcoholic whose periodic drinking binges devastated the family. When Chamberlain was about 9, his father joined Alcoholics Anonymous. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, where he was a four-year letterman in track, Chamberlain majored in art at Pomona College in Claremont. Despite being shy and inhibited, he began 'moonlighting' in the drama department, where, he later wrote, he found himself 'fast losing my heart to drama.' Drafted into the Army after graduation, Chamberlain spent 16 months as an infantry company clerk in South Korea. Intent on becoming an actor after his two-year stint in the Army, he returned to Los Angeles, where he was accepted into an acting workshop taught by blacklisted actor Jeff Corey and landed an agent. Chamberlain quickly began doing guest roles on TV series such as 'Gunsmoke,' 'Bourbon Street Beat' and 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents.' Throughout most of his long career, Chamberlain took great pains to keep a secret from the public: He was gay. Although his friends and people in show business knew, Chamberlain said he avoided talking about his private life in interviews, fearful of what it would do to a career built on his being a romantic lead opposite a woman. But that changed with the publication of his candid memoir in 2003, a time in his life when, as he told the New York Times, he no longer had 'an image to defend.' By then, he had been in a more than two-decade-long relationship with Rabbett, an actor, producer and director. The two lived together in Hawaii until Chamberlain returned to Los Angeles in 2010 to resume his acting career. Chamberlain had always hated himself for being gay, he told the Los Angeles Times in 2003. 'I was as homophobic as the next guy,' he said. 'I grew up thinking there was nothing worse. 'Sixty-eight years it took me to realize that I'd been wrong about myself. I wasn't horrible at all. And now, suddenly, I'm free. Out of the prison I built for myself. It's intoxicating. I can talk about it positively because I'm not afraid anymore.' Despite his concern over how the public would react, he found acceptance and warmth instead. 'Everyone has been so supportive, so positive,' he said. 'In New York, people walked up to me in the street, and in theaters. Strangers gave me the thumbs up, wished me well, said, 'Good for you.' I'm just awestruck by the change in the way I feel about life now.' ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Chamberlain, TV actor who starred in ‘Dr. Kildare,' dies at 90
Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series 'Dr. Kildare' who found a second career as an award-winning 'king of the miniseries,' has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. 'Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us,' Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. 'How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.' Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, 'Shattered Love.' The actor became known as 'king of the TV miniseries' in 1978 when he landed the starring role in 'Centennial,' an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener's sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with 'Shogun,' another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell's period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, 'The Thorn Birds,' based on Colleen McCullough's best-seller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds.' Years earlier, he received one for 'Dr. Kildare.' When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of 'My Fair Lady' and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of 'The Sound of Music.' He reprised his role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie 'The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.' He also appeared in numerous films, including 'The Music Lovers' (as Tchaikovsky), 'The Madwoman of Chaillot,' 'The Towering Inferno' and 'The Three Musketeers' and its sequels. The 'Kildare' series was based on a string of successful 1930s and '40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role. Chamberlain's hunky, All-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, 'Ben Casey,' also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too. The 'Ben Casey shirt' became a fashion item, both shows' theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called 'Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation.' But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters' questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: 'Getting married would be great, but I'm awfully busy now.' 'When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten,' he said in an NBC interview. 'I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.' The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality. 'I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over,' said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett. Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film 'The Secret of the Purple Reef,' he won the Dr. Kildare role. When 'Dr. Kildare' was canceled he initially found it difficult to shake the image of the handsome young physician. He moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. While there, he appeared in three of director Richard Lester's films, 'Petulia' (1968), 'The Three Musketeers' (1973) and 'The Four Musketeers' (1974). He reunited with Lester in 1989 for 'The Return of the Musketeers,' once more playing Aramis. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in 'Hamlet' at England's Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of 'Julius Caesar,' which co-starred Charlton Heston and Jason Robards. He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as 'Will & Grace,' 'The Drew Carey Show' and 'Touched by an Angel.' ___ Bob Thomas, a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the principal writer of this obituary. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
The Guardian
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Richard Chamberlain, hero of Dr Kildare and ‘king of the miniseries' dies aged 90
Richard Chamberlain, the hero of the 1960s television series Dr Kildare who found a second career as an award-winning 'king of the miniseries,' has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died on Saturday night in Waimānalo, Hawaii of complications after a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement: 'Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.' Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known: that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, Shattered Love. The actor became known as 'king of the TV miniseries' in 1978 when he landed the starring role in Centennial, an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener's sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with Shōgun, another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell's period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, The Thorn Birds, based on Colleen McCullough's bestseller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work on Shōgun and The Thorn Birds. Years earlier, he received one for Dr Kildare. When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theatre, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of The Sound of Music. He reprised the role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years. He also appeared in numerous films, including The Music Lovers (as Tchaikovsky), The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Towering Inferno and The Three Musketeers and its sequels. Dr Kildare was based on a string of successful 1930s and 1940s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role. Chamberlain's hunky, all-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, Ben Casey, was also a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too. The so-called 'Ben Casey shirt' became a fashion item, both shows' theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation. But in his autobiography, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous female colleagues to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters' questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: 'Getting married would be great, but I'm awfully busy now.' 'When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten,' he said in an NBC interview. 'I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.' The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality. 'I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over,' said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett. Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on 31 March 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean war, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He studied voice and drama, appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film The Secret of the Purple Reef, and ultimately won the Dr Kildare role. When Dr Kildare was cancelled, he initially found it difficult to shake the image of the handsome young physician. He moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. While there, he appeared in three of director Richard Lester's films: Petulia (1968), The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). He reunited with Lester in 1989 for The Return of the Musketeers, once more playing Aramis. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in Hamlet at England's Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of Julius Caesar, which co-starred Charlton Heston and Jason Robards. He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel.
CBC
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Richard Chamberlain, star of Dr. Kildare, Shogun and The Thorn Birds, dead at 90
Social Sharing Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series Dr. Kildare who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries," has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. "Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us," Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. "How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure." Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favourite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, Shattered Love. The actor became known as "king of the TV miniseries" in 1978 when he landed the starring role in Centennial, an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener's sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with Shogun, another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell's period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, The Thorn Birds, based on Colleen McCullough's best-seller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in Shogun and The Thorn Birds. Years earlier, he received one for Dr. Kildare. Turning to theatre and film When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theatre, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of The Sound of Music. He reprised his role as de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years. He also appeared in numerous films, including The Music Lovers (as Tchaikovsky), The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Towering Inferno and The Three Musketeers and its sequels. Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey spinoff song The Kildare series was based on a string of successful 1930s and '40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role. Chamberlain's hunky, All-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, Ben Casey, also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too. The "Ben Casey shirt" became a fashion item, the theme songs of both shows made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation. Decision to hide sexual orientation But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters' questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: "Getting married would be great, but I'm awfully busy now." "When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten," he said in an NBC interview. "I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it." The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality. "I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over," said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett. Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel.
Chicago Tribune
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Richard Chamberlain, TV actor who starred in ‘Dr. Kildare,' dies at 90
LOS ANGELES — Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series 'Dr. Kildare' who found a second career as an award-winning 'king of the miniseries,' has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, 'Shattered Love.' The actor became known as 'king of the TV miniseries' in 1978 when he landed the starring role in 'Centennial,' an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener's sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with 'Shogun,' another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell's period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, 'The Thorn Birds,' based on Colleen McCullough's best-seller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds.' Years earlier, he received one for 'Dr. Kildare.' When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of 'My Fair Lady' and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of 'The Sound of Music.' He reprised his role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie 'The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.' He also appeared in numerous films, including 'The Music Lovers' (as Tchaikovsky), 'The Madwoman of Chaillot,' 'The Towering Inferno' and 'The Three Musketeers' and its sequels. The 'Kildare' series was based on a string of successful 1930s and '40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role. Chamberlain's hunky, All-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, 'Ben Casey,' also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too. The 'Ben Casey shirt' became a fashion item, both shows' theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called 'Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation.' But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters' questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: 'Getting married would be great, but I'm awfully busy now.' 'When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten,' he said in an NBC interview. 'I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.' The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality. 'I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over,' said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett. Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film 'The Secret of the Purple Reef,' he won the Dr. Kildare role. When 'Dr. Kildare' was canceled he initially found it difficult to shake the image of the handsome young physician. He moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. While there, he appeared in three of director Richard Lester's films, 'Petulia' (1968), 'The Three Musketeers' (1973) and 'The Four Musketeers' (1974). He reunited with Lester in 1989 for 'The Return of the Musketeers,' once more playing Aramis. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in 'Hamlet' at England's Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of 'Julius Caesar,' which co-starred Charlton Heston and Jason Robards. He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as 'Will & Grace,' 'The Drew Carey Show' and 'Touched by an Angel.'
