Richard Chamberlian, the actor known for such shows as Dr. Kildare, Shōgun and The Thorn Birds, has died. He was 90.
The 3x Golden Globe winner died of complications following a stroke on Saturday afternoon in Waimanalo, Hawaii, according to multiple outlets, just days before his 91st birthday on Monday.
“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us,” Chamberlain’s partner Martin Rabbett 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.”
Born March 31, 1934 in Beverly Hills, Chamberlain was drafted by the U.S. Army after college, serving in Korea from 1956 to 1958, during which he achieved the rank of sergeant.
Watch on Deadline
After founding the LA-based theater group Company of Angels in 1959, Chamberlain got his onscreen star in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke and Riverboat.
Chamberlain’s breakout came in the title role of NBC’s medical drama Dr. Kildare, which ran for five seasons from 1961 to 1966. The series won the actor his first Golden Globe, before going on to win two more for his performances in Shōgun and The Thorn Birds.
Over the years, Chamberlain also starred in such films as The Three Musketeers (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Count of Monte Cristo (1975), The Man in the Iron Mask (1977) and The Swarm (1978), as well as shows like The Bourne Identity, Touched by an Angel, Will & Grace, Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives and Twin Peaks: The Return.
After he was outed by the French magazine Nous Deux in 1989, Chamberlain confirmed he was gay in his 2003 autobiography Shattered Love: A Memoir.
The post Richard Chamberlain Dies: ‘Dr. Kildare’ & ‘Shōgun’ Star Was 90 appeared first on Deadline.
