Richard Chamberlain, ‘Shogun’ actor, dies aged 90
Richard Chamberlain, an American actor who enjoyed a long career in television and film, has died at the age of 90.
Born in Los Angeles, Chamberlain attended university for painting and art history and began his career as a singer and television actor. His classically handsome looks quickly turned him into a teen heartthrob, and he shot to fame portraying the title character in the hit television series Dr Kildare. The show ran for five seasons and was one of the first series to centre on the medical world.
After the series ended in 1966, Chamberlain branched out into theatre, playing opposite Mary Tyler Moore in a disastrous Broadway adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and moving to England to perform in repertory theatre. There, he earned his stripes as a dramatic actor rather than a matinee idol, even earning excellent notices for playing the title role in Hamlet despite his nationality.
When he returned to the States, Chamberlain became a leading man in movies, landing parts in major Hollywood including 1968’s Petunia, in which he played Julie Christie’s ne’er-do-well husband, the composer Tchaikovsky in 1971’s The Music Lovers, and an electrical engineer in the star-studded disaster movie The Towering Inferno in 1974. He also starred in Peter Weir’s 1977 drama The Last Wave as an Australian doctor.
Chamberlain alternated between film and television roles for the next few decades, and even earned the distinction of becoming the first actor to portray Jason Bourne in the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity. His popularity as a TV star surged again early in the decade when he appeared in the first adaptation of Shogun and the series The Thorn Birds.
He came out as gay in the early 2000s after being outed by a French magazine nearly 15 years before, and played several queer characters in later life, including on the shows Will & Grace and The Dana Carvey Show. One of his final roles came in 2017, when he played Bill Kennedy in Twin Peaks: The Return.
Chamberlain’s publicist confirmed his death via Variety, revealing that he passed away on Saturday in Waimanalo, Hawai’i, of complications following a stroke. In a statement, his longtime partner, Martin Rabbett, said, “Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. 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.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.