Actor Richard Chamberlain has died at the age of 90.
He shot to fame as the title character in the medical TV show Dr Kildare, which ran from 1961 until 1966. He later appeared in a number of miniseries, including Shogun (1980) and The Thorn Birds (1983).
The star also played the role of Aramis in the iconic 1973 film The Three Musketeers and its two sequels, The Four Musketeers (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989). He was also the first actor to play agent Jason Bourne in the 1988 TV film The Bourne Identity – before Hollywood star Matt Damon took on the role.
Chamberlain’s died on Saturday (March 29) of complications following a stroke. His passing was confirmed to Variety by the actor’s publicist, Harlan Boll.
“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now,” said Chamberlain’s partner Martin Rabbett. “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.”
Famed for his good looks, Chamberlain became a teen idol during his time on Dr Kildare, where he starred with Raymond Massey. However, he would prove his acting chops during his time in the UK.
He appeared in the BBC’s adaptation of The Portrait of a Lady and in the critically acclaimed 1969 production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre. He became the first American to play Prince Hamlet since John Barrymore in 1925 and appeared in the role for ITV.
The California-born actor famously played Australian priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart, in the TV adaptation of Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. The show became the second most widely watched television miniseries in history at the time and won six Emmys.
Chamberlain also served in the US Army, where he became a sergeant while serving in Korea from 1956 until 1958. After this, he formed a Los Angeles-based theatre group called Company of Angels, which has won several awards and is still active today.
The screen icon starred alongside legends Oliver Reed, Michael York and Frank Finlay as musketeers in Richard Lester’s swash-buckling film The Three Musketeers. Raquel Welch earned a Golden Globe for her role in the 1973 movie.
Chamberlain was not open about his homosexuality for the majority of his career and was outed by the French women’s magazine Nous Deux in December 1989. He later confirmed his sexuality in his 2003 autobiography, Shattered Love: A Memoir.
He had a long-term relationship with fellow actor Martin Rabbett – the pair split amicably in 2010 but remained close friends. Chamberlain also had a romantic relationship with Days of Our Lives star Wesley Eure in the 1970s.
The star was also a singer who managed to bag some hits in the 1960s, including the theme from Dr Kildare, titled Three Stars Will Shine Tonight which hit No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
In 2017, he appeared in Twin Peaks: The Return as Bill Kennedy. He also guest starred on shows such as Will & Grace and The Drew Carey Show.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
