Actor Richard Chamberlain died March 29, 2025 just two days before his 91st birthday as a result of complications form a stroke in Waimanolo, Hawaii on the island of Oahu.
Chamberlain appeared in nearly 90 different film and television productions but he is best known for his roles in the series “Dr. Kildare”, as Alexander McKeag in “Centennial”, Anjin-san/Pilot Major John Blackthorn in “Shogun”, and Father Ralph de Bricassart in the mini series “The Thorn Birds” franchise. Before there was Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, Chamberlain played the role in a two part series with Jaclyn Smith.
Chamberlain made his television debut in 1959 in an episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. His other roles include an episode of “Gunsmoke”, “The Three Musketeers”, “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge”, “The Towering Inferno”, “The Count of Monte-Cristo”, “The Man in the Iron Mask”, “King Solomon’s Mines”, “Touched by an Angel”, “Wil & Grace”, “Brothers & Sisters”, and his final role in “Finding Julia”.
After the cancellation of “Dr. Kildare”, Chamberlain spent some time in England where he performed with the Birmingham Repertory Company.
But the big surprise was that Chamberlain could sing; a skill he demonstrated on the Broadway stage where he appeared in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “The Night of the Iguana”, the revival of “Blithe Spirit”, “My Fair Lady”, and “The Sound of Music”.
His accomplishments include three Golden Globe Awards and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.
He was born George Richard Chamberlain on March 31, 1934 in Beverly Hills, California; the youngest of two sons. While he went to college to study art, he turned his hand to acting after a stint with the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Chamberlain is survived by his longtime partner Martin Rabbett.