Richard Chamberlain, an Icon of Television and Cinema, Passes Away at 90

American actor Richard Chamberlain, who rose to fame in the 1960s with the series Dr. Kildare, passed away on Saturday, March 29, at the age of 90. According to his agent, contacted by Variety, he succumbed to a stroke in Hawaii. His former partner, Martin Rabbett, paid tribute to him in a poignant statement: “Our beloved Richard is now with the angels… Love never dies.”

A Career Spanning Television, Theater, and Spectacle

Born in 1934 in Beverly Hills, Richard Chamberlain began his career in Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Army. In 1961, he landed the title role in the series Dr. Kildare, which catapulted him to stardom and earned him a Golden Globe.

After the series ended, he moved to the United Kingdom to pursue theater. There, he took on major roles, including Hamlet and Richard II by Shakespeare. His talent also led him to the big screen, where he stood out in adventure films such as The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Count of Monte Cristo (1975).

The “King of Miniseries”

The 1980s marked a decisive turning point in his career. Dubbed the “King of Miniseries” by The New York Times, Richard Chamberlain became a television icon. He portrayed English navigator John Blackthorne in Shōgun (1980) and moved audiences as Ralph de Bricassart in The Thorn Birds (1983), a role that earned him a Golden Globe in 1984.

Additionally, he was the first actor to play Jason Bourne in the television adaptation of The Bourne Identity (1988). He also made an impression as Allan Quatermain in King Solomon’s Mines and its sequel Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold alongside Sharon Stone.

A Significant Figure in the LGBTQ+ Community

More discreet in recent years, he made notable guest appearances in Desperate Housewives (2007) and Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). In 2003, he published his autobiography Shattered Love: A Memoir, in which he came out, becoming an inspiring figure for the LGBTQ+ community in Hollywood.