Los Angeles – Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the television series of the 1960s “Dr. Kitare” who found a second career as an award -winning “king of the miniseries,” he died. I was 90 years old.
Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, complications after a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.
“Our beloved Richard is with the Angels now. He is free and rises with those loved ones before us,” said Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, in a statement. “How blessed we were, we had known such a surprising and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under its wings raising it to its next great adventure.”
Alto, with a good classic appearance and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite of adolescents such as the compassionate doctor of the television series that was broadcast from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine appointed him more popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963 to 65.
Until 2003, he publicly recognized what Hollywood experts had known for a long time, which 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 got the leading role in “Centennial”, an epic production of 24 hours and based on the extensive novel by James Michener. That was followed in 1980 with “Shogun”, another expensive epic miniseries based on the article of the James Clavell period about an American visitor in Japan.
He scored his greatest success of miniseries in 1983 with another drama long, “The Thorn Birds”, based on the Best-Seller of Colleen McCullough. He played Father Ralph de Brisonart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with the beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). According to reports, the production of ABC, also starring Barbara Stanwyck, attracted 100 million viewers.
Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds.” Years earlier, he received one for “Dr. Ice.”
When the public began to lose interest in the miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he showed a good singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a Broadway Renaissance in 1994 of “My Fair Lady” and as Captain Von Trapp in a 1999 Renaissance of “The Sound of Music”.
He repeated his role as De BismaSar in the 1996 television film “The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.”
It also appeared in numerous films, including “The Music Lovovers” (like Tchaikovsky), “The Madwoman of Chaillot”, “The Tlowing Inferno” and “The Three Musketeers” and its sequelae.
The “Kildare” series was based on a series of successful 1930 and 40 films that had starred in Lew Ayres in the main role.
The appearance of Chamberlain and All-American made him a nightclub. Another medical show that debuted the same season, “Ben Casey”, was also a success and made its protagonist, the dark and handsome Vince Edwards, a star too.
The “Ben Casey Shirt” became a fashion element, the thematic songs of both programs made pop
But in his book, Chamberlain reported how he was forced to hide his sexuality. I would escape the glamorous actresses to the premieres of films and other public events at the request of the study executives and dodge the questions of the reporters about why he had never married a response of actions: “marrying would be great, but now I am very busy.”
“When I grew up, being gay, being a little ladybug or something was verboten,” he said in an NBC interview. “I didn’t like it intensely and I feared this part of myself intensely and I had to hide it.”
The book also described a problematic childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally raised a strong emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he no longer hid his sexuality.
“I played a cat and mouse game with the press. Finished game,” said Chamberlain.
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 employee in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try to act.
He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in invited papers in a handful of television programs and in the 1960 film “The Secret of the Purple Reef”, he won the role of Dr. Kildare.
When “Dr. Kitare” was canceled, it was initially difficult to shake the image of the handsome young doctor.
He moved to England for a while to find work and perfect his acting skills. While he was there, he appeared in three of the films of director Richard Lester, “Petulia” (1968), “The Three Musketeers” (1973) and “The Four Musketeers” (1974). He met with Lester in 1989 for “The Return of the Musketeers”, once again playing Aramis.
In 1969, Chamberlain played the main role in “Hamlet” in the Birmingham repertoire company in England and repeated it in a television adaptation that appeared in NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of “Julius César”, which co -starred in Charlton Heston and Jason Robards.
He continued acting until the 21st century, appearing on television programs such as “Will AND Grace “,” The Drew Carey Show “and” Touched by an Angel “.
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Bob Thomas, an Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the main writer of this obituary.
