Richard Chamberlain, who soared to fame as Dr. Kildare on TV and gained acclaim in ‘Shogun,’ dies

As a devoted fan, I’m deeply saddened to share that Richard Chamberlain, who captivated audiences as the dashing Dr. Kildare on television in the ’60s and later rekindled his small-screen brilliance in the acclaimed miniseries “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds,” has passed away at the age of 90.

Born in Los Angeles, Chamberlain passed away on Saturday evening in Waimanalo, Hawaii, due to complications following a stroke, according to reports by the Associated Press, which was informed by his publicist, Harlan Boll.

Martin Rabbett, Richard’s longtime companion, shared that Richard has moved on to be with the angels. He is now liberated and flying towards those who have gone before us, according to a statement reported by Associated Press. We were incredibly fortunate to have known such an extraordinary and loving spirit. Love endures forever. And as our love lifts him, it carries Richard to his next exciting journey.

Over the course of a remarkable six-decade acting journey, Chamberlain embodied an assortment of characters – from portraying Hamlet and Henry Higgins on stage to starring as a dashing French musketeer and rugged American frontiersman in films.

In a 1984 interview with The Times, Chamberlain expressed that he feels incomplete if he doesn’t engage in theater. However, he also shared his affection for television and film work. He believes he has demonstrated that an actor can excel in both stage and screen performances.

Just as I’ve previously mentioned, the charm of acting lies in embracing diverse characters. Sticking to a single character throughout one’s career is equivalent to confining oneself to a monotonous job like insurance sales.

Initially, Richard Chamberlain was a relatively unrecognized actor with only a handful of television appearances and a small-scale film to his name. However, he was selected by MGM for the role of Dr. Kildare in the one-hour medical series. In this capacity, Chamberlain portrayed Dr. James Kildare, an earnest young intern at Blair General Hospital. His character’s mentor was Raymond Massey, who played the wise Dr. Leonard Gillespie.

Cecil Smith, The Times’ former TV critic, foresaw that the series might turn out to be one of the strongest shows of the season soon after ‘Dr. Kildare’ premiered in 1961. He found Chamberlain, the young actor playing the role, to be charming and appealing with a genuine warmth. In addition, Chamberlain was an excellent match for Massey, one of the most talented actors from our era.

In the course of one night, a once college sprinter, now 27 years old, standing tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, who would later confess his inexperience as an actor, transformed into a heartthrob among teenagers and a beloved figure in fan magazines, receiving as many as 12,000 letters a week.

For five seasons, Dr. Kildare aired on NBC, coinciding with another hit medical series on ABC called Ben Casey, featuring Vince Edwards.

During his breaks between the series, Chamberlain featured in two films: portraying a trial attorney in the 1963 courtroom drama titled “Twilight of Honor”, and sharing the screen with Yvette Mimieux in the 1965 romantic dramatic film named “Joy in the Morning”.

However, it was his portrayal of the honorable television physician that earned him the most recognition during that period, leading to the creation of comic books, collectible cards, a game on a board, a doll, and various items emblazoned with his iconic “Kildare” image in a white coat.

I, too, found myself treading into uncharted territories when my weekly TV appearances opened up an unexpected foray into music. This brief stint in the recording industry showcased a resonant baritone within me, as evidenced by albums like “Richard Chamberlain Sings.

In his 2003 memoir, “Shattered Love,” the actor reminisced that Kildare was a remarkable turning point for him, an exhilarating, albeit challenging, journey. Though my image was that of a heartthrob rather than a seasoned actor, it helped establish my presence in the industry.

During a social lunch at Massey’s residence, English acting legend Cedric Hardwicke made it clear to him: “Richard, you’ve risen to stardom without fully mastering your craft.

Following his five-year stint on “Dr. Kildare,” Chamberlain declined several television series proposals, opting instead to focus on stage and screen projects.

His initial Broadway performance, part of a problematic 1966 adaptation of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” as a musical with Mary Tyler Moore, was abruptly halted when producer David Merrick decided to postpone the much-awaited musical’s debut following just four trial performances in New York.

Later on, Chamberlain made his debut in a more substantial film role, portraying Julie Christie’s occasionally aggressive spouse in the 1968 drama “Petulia,” which was helmed by director Richard Lester.

Eager to get some genuine acting education, he relocated to England and landed a role in a six-hour BBC production of Henry James’ novel “The Portrait of a Lady” in 1968. Rather than enrolling in an acting school in London as he initially intended, Chamberlain ended up getting hands-on training during his over four years residing in England.

As a passionate movie lover, I found myself utterly captivated by the enigmatic portrayal of “The Portrait of a Lady.” Little did I know that this captivating experience would lead me down an unexpected path as a fan of TV’s Dr. Kildare. To my surprise, he took on the most improbable role – none other than Hamlet!

The BBC’s portrayal of the James novel character had attracted the notice of the renowned Birmingham Repertory Company, which sought a recognized actor capable of drawing crowds to their forthcoming production of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Following extensive and rigorous practice sessions, Chamberlain expressed astonishment upon receiving generally positive reviews from many London critics, labeling them as “quite good.” Subsequently, he took on the role of Hamlet in another production, this time for Hallmark Television.

After transitioning from being a good-looking young man to becoming a serious actor, I finally gained respect, and it was a thrilling journey for me,” he penned down.

In 1969, Chamberlain featured in Bryan Forbes’ movie “The Madwoman of Chaillot,” where he played the role of the Russian composer Tchaikovsky. Additionally, he acted alongside Glenda Jackson in Ken Russell’s 1970 film titled “The Music Lovers.”

Or more concisely: Chamberlain starred as Tchaikovsky in Bryan Forbes’ 1969 movie “The Madwoman of Chaillot” and opposite Glenda Jackson in the 1970 Ken Russell film, “The Music Lovers.

In the ’70s, he was also recognized for his roles in movies like “The Three Musketeers” (released in 1973), “The Towering Inferno” (1974), and “The Last Wave” (1977).

Initially, Chamberlain graced the American stage with performances such as playing Richard II in the Seattle Repertory Theater’s 1971 production of Shakespeare’s play, which was hailed by critic Dan Sullivan from The Times as an exceptionally skilled performance. Moreover, his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles Angels in 1973 won him a Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Award.

For several years, Chamberlain graced Broadway four times, each appearance being a revival: first as the Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon in “The Night of the Iguana” (1976-77), then as Charles in “Blithe Spirit” (1987), later as Professor Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” (1993-94), and finally as Captain Georg von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” (1999).

In the year 1975, he starred as the lead actor in the TV film “The Count of Monte Cristo,” which was his first time being nominated for an Emmy Award, out of a total of four times he was recognized.

Instead, he reached his greatest professional peaks following the TV miniseries series, starting with his portrayal of Alexander McKeag, a bearded Scottish trapper, in “Centennial.” This was an impressive 12-episode historical drama that featured many well-known actors and aired on NBC during 1978-79.

In 1980, he landed the leading role in the NBC miniseries “Shogun,” which was set in feudal Japan during the year 1600. Portraying John Blackthorne, an English navigator who gets shipwrecked and taken captive, he found himself embroiled in a power struggle among Japanese warlords vying for supreme military rule. Additionally, he developed romantic feelings for his married interpreter during this tumultuous period.

Chamberlain found himself caught off guard by the intensity of the reactions to his portrayal in the critically praised, highly-ranked TV mini-series.

He informed The Times in 1981 that he had forgotten about the chaos in supermarkets,” he said. “During my ‘Dr. Kildare’ years, I used to experience this, but then it ceased and I forgot about it. Now, it seems, it has resurfaced again.

In the 1983 television series “The Thorn Birds,” produced by ABC, he took on the role of Father Ralph. This character was a dedicated yet ambitious Catholic priest who found himself torn between his religious vows and his feelings for the charming niece (portrayed by Rachel Ward) of a powerful Australian ranch matriarch (Barbara Stanwyck), who owned an extensive sheep farm.

Known as the “monarch of mini-series,” Chamberlain garnered Golden Globe awards and was nominated for Emmys due to his outstanding performances in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds.

In 1985, he received another Emmy nomination for his role as the protagonist in the two-part miniseries “Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story,” broadcast on NBC. In this production, he portrayed a Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest who managed to save countless Hungarian Jews during World War II.

George Richard Chamberlain, born on March 31, 1934, in Los Angeles, was given the name Chamberlain but was commonly known as Dick or Richard. He and his elder brother Bill spent their childhood in Beverly Hills, residing in a three-bedroom house that Chamberlain referred to as being situated on the less prosperous side of Wilshire Boulevard.

His mother stayed at home, while his father, who worked as a sales representative for a modest business that produced fixtures for grocery stores, often struggled with alcoholism. This resulted in frequent drinking sprees that caused significant distress within the family. Around the age of 9, Chamberlain’s father started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Following his graduation from Beverly Hills High School, where he was a four-year track team member, Chamberlain pursued an art major at Pomona College in Claremont. Surprisingly, despite being timid and reserved, he started working part-time in the school’s drama department. Later on, he admitted that his affection for drama was rapidly growing during this time.

Following his college graduation, Chamberlain was enlisted in the Army and served for approximately 16 months as a clerical officer within an infantry company stationed in South Korea.

Eager to pursue a career as an actor following his two-year service in the Army, he went back to Los Angeles. There, he got enrolled in an acting workshop led by blacklisted actor Jeff Corey and secured an agent.

swiftly, Chamberlain took up recurring appearances on television shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Bourbon Street Beat” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

For much of his lengthy professional life, Chamberlain went to considerable lengths to conceal from the general public that he was homosexual.

Despite openly discussing the matter with his peers in the entertainment industry, Chamberlain was reluctant to disclose details about his personal life during interviews. He was cautious because he believed such revelations could potentially impact a career that relied heavily on his portrayal as a romantic leading man alongside a female co-star.

However, with the release of his honest memoir in 2003, a period during which he openly confessed to the New York Times that he was no longer protecting any public image.

For over two decades, he was involved in a significant partnership with Rabbett, who is an actor, producer, and director. They resided together in Hawaii until Chamberlain moved back to Los Angeles in 2010 to rekindle his acting endeavors.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times back in 2003, Chamberlain admitted to harboring self-loathing due to his homosexuality. He stated, “I was just as prejudiced against homosexuality as the average person.” Growing up, he believed there was nothing more disgraceful.

After sixty-eight long years, I’ve finally understood that I wasn’t as terrible as I thought. In fact, I’m finding freedom now, liberated from the self-imposed prison I had been living in. It’s exhilarating to break free and speak positively about myself without fear.

Despite his concern over how the public would react, he found acceptance and warmth instead.

He remarked, “Everyone has been incredibly supportive and optimistic.” In New York, people approached me both on the street and in theaters. Strangers would give me a thumbs up, offer well wishes, and say, ‘You’re doing great.’ I’m absolutely amazed by the shift in my perspective on life now.

McLellan is a former Times staff writer.

2025-03-30 19:02

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Richard Chamberlain, who soared to fame as Dr. Kildare on TV and gained acclaim in ‘Shogun,’ dies

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