Heartthrob actor Richard Chamberlain, star of 'Thorn Birds', dies aged 90

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Richard Chamberlain, the Emmy-nominated actor and 1960s heartthrob who rocketed to fame in the TV medical drama "Dr. Kildare" and starred in the mini-series "Shogun" and "The Thorn Birds" has died at the age of 90, publicist Harlan Boll said.

Chamberlain died late on Saturday in Hawaii from complications from a stroke, he said in a statement on Sunday.

Chamberlain was an instant hit, and became a teen idol, as the handsome Dr. James Kildare in the series that ran from 1961-1966. The Guardian newspaper said the then 27-year-old actor "looked like he had been sculpted by a loving god out of butter, honey and grace." 

The breakout role was the start of a six decade-career that spanned theater, films and television.

Chamberlain was dubbed the "king of the mini-series" after appearing in several TV dramas in the 1980s and earned plaudits on stage in roles ranging from Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" and Captain von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" to Shakespeare's Hamlet and Richard II.

He also was the original Jason Bourne in the 1988 mini-series "The Bourne Identity."

"What's fascinating about Richard is that his range is enormous. His ability to be different each time out is what makes him such a valuable property," producer Susan Baerwald told the New York Times in 1988.

PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE ELSE

The versatile actor was nominated for four Emmys -- as an English navigator in 17th century Japan in "Shogun" (1981), a love-torn priest in "The Thorn Birds" (1983), Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in "Wallenberg: A Hero's Story" (1985) and for the title role in the 1975 TV movie "The Count of Monte-Cristo."

Most of his roles were as romantic leading men, which is why he did not publicly reveal he was a homosexual until he was 68 years old. He feared it would ruin his career. For much of his life he said he pretended to be someone else.

"When you grow up in the '30s, '40s and '50s being gay, it's not only ain't easy, it's just impossible," he told the New York Times in 2014. "I assumed there was something terribly wrong with me. And even becoming famous and all that, it was still there." 

Chamberlain said it was a tremendous relief after he acknowledged his sexuality in his 2003 autobiography "Shattered Love: A Memoir." 

"I had no fear left," he said in a 2019 interview. "It was a wonderful experience. People were open, friendly and sweet."

HONING HIS ACTING SKILLS  

Born George Richard Chamberlain on March 31, 1934, in Los Angeles, he was the youngest of two sons. He had hoped to be an artist but switched to acting after attending Pomona College in California.

His acting career was put on hold when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1956 and served in Korea. After his discharge, Chamberlain returned to Los Angeles, where he co-founded a theater group and had small parts on TV before becoming Dr. Kildare.

The success of the TV show led to a brief singing career and film roles opposite Julie Christie in "Petulia" (1968) and "The Madwoman of Chaillot" (1969) with Katherine Hepburn. He had a brief run in the musical "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Mary Tyler Moore. The show closed after four previews. 

In the late 1960s, Chamberlain moved to England where he honed his acting skills in the BBC series "The Portrait of a Lady" and as Hamlet at the Birmingham Repertory Theater.

"Dr. Kildare was a huge hit in England, and I heard that all the London reviewers were coming to rip this interloper to pieces," he said in an interview. "But we got very good reviews."

Chamberlain returned to the big screen as Lord Byron in the drama "Lady Caroline Lamb" (1972), "The Three Musketeers" (1973) and as a villain in the disaster film "The Towering Inferno" (1974).

Throughout his career he mixed roles in Broadway plays, including Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana," with musicals, TV and films.

After coming out publicly, he played both gay and straight characters in TV shows including "Brothers & Sisters," "Will & Grace" and "Desperate Housewives."

The actor released a book of haiku poetry in 2012 and narrated Audubon environmental television specials. 

Chamberlain lived in Hawaii for many years and had a three-decade relationship with actor and writer Martin Rabbett, his co-star in the 1986 adventure film "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold." The couple parted in 2010 but remained close friends.

"He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul," Rabbett said in a statement.

(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Diane Craft and Sharon Singleton)