![]() Chamberlain portrayed Julie Christie's rotter of a husband in "Petulia" (1968), co-starred with Katherine Hepburn in Bryan Forbes' film adaptation of "The Madwoman of Challiot," and won raves from the notoriously difficult English theater critics for his performance as Hamlet, which he later recreated for TV's "Hallmark Hall of Fame" in 1970. He was being considered a more a serious actor, with the roles now coming his way reflecting that sea change. ![]() Knowing this, Chamberlain then turned his back on television, pursuing roles in touring stage productions instead.Įventually, Chamberlain relocated to England, where he earned considerable praise for his performance in a 1968 TV production of "A Portrait of a Lady." That project signaled a turning point in the public perception of Chamberlain - no longer was he regarded as merely a handsome American TV celebrity. He attempted to break free of the Kildare image in two theatrical features, "Twilight of Honor" and "Joy in the Morning," but neither of the sudsy films did much to lend a sense of gravitas to his image. But Chamberlain sought more for his acting career than an avid fan base. Chamberlain's good looks helped make him an overnight sensation and a heartthrob of the first order his pin-up status was further solidified by a string of pop singles he recorded between 19. Kildare," a medical drama about a young intern learning the ropes at a major hospital. In 1961, Chamberlain's career took off with his performance as the title role in "Dr. He began landing his first screen roles in the late '50s and early '60s on TV series such as "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975) "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS/NBC, 1955-62) and in several undistinguished theatrical features. After his return to the States, Chamberlain studied under noted acting teacher Jeff Corey and co-founded the Los Angeles theater group Company of Angels. The latter became his primary passion while attending Pomona College, and he might have signed with Paramount Pictures, had he not been required to serve in Korea for 16 months. Additionally, he triumphed in his personal life as well by, not only launching a successful second career as an artist, but by revealing his struggles as a gay man forced to conceal his sexuality in Hollywood for the past four decades.īorn George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills, CA on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain excelled at both sports and art while a student. Kildare" (NBC, 1961-66) appearing in some of the most widely-seen projects in entertainment history, including the epic miniseries "Shogun," "Centennial," and most memorably, "The Thorn Birds." At the same time, he won the acceptance of the theater world with performances in acclaimed productions on both sides of the Atlantic. Please, don't pretend that we're suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.A popular and versatile actor with a 40-year career spanning film, stage, pop music and television, Richard Chamberlain overcame the "handsome face" label that dogged him during his stint on TV's "Dr. "Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. The 76-year-old Brothers and Sisters actor said: "Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it's still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture. Reports about his sexual orientation had been surfacing in the media for years but Chamberlain always refused to discuss them. ![]() "Personally, I wouldn't advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out." He added: "So it's just silly for a working actor to say, 'Oh, I don't care if anybody knows I'm gay' - especially if you're a leading man. "For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren't." Speaking to gay magazine The Advocate, Chamberlain said: "There's still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. Kildare actor was in the closet himself for most of his acting career, until he wrote openly about his sexuality in his 2003 autobiography Shattered Love. Actor Richard Chamberlain has advised gay male actors to stay in the closet for the good of their careers.
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