Richard Chamberlain, one of the 20th century’s notable actors, had died aged 90.
He died after a stroke, two days shy of turning 91 — in Hawaii.
Chamberlain gained popular notoriety through TV — as Dr Kildare in the 1960s show, Shogun, or the miniseries “The Thorn Birds”, beloved by older generations.
As a film star, he was perfectly cast in the role of Aramis in The Three Musketeers, to name one instance. But he mostly shunned Hollywood.
He continued to appear in TV on guest appearances well into his old age, last appearing on “Twin Peaks”.
In 2003, Richard Chamberlain came out as gay, by means of a memoir. By this time he was already in his late 60s.
“There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture,” he said. “Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.”
He was in a relationship for decades with actor and producer Martin Rabbett, who made the announcement of his death.
“I thought there was something very, very deeply wrong with me,” he said, “and I wanted to cover it up. I remember making a pact with myself that I would never, ever reveal this secret, ever.”
Known for his remarkable looks, The Guardian described Chamberlain as looking “like he had been sculpted by a loving god out of butter, honey, and grace” when he was at the beginning of his career, others praised fine-lined aristocratic face, suggesting a young Florentine noble – straight out of the Renaissance”.
He received approximately 12,000 letters per week.
