Actor Richard Chamberlain, best known for roles on Dr. Kildare, Shogun and The Thorn Birds, has died at the age of 90, his longtime partner, Martin Rabbett, confirmed in a statement to Variety.
“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now,” Robbett said. “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.”
Chamberlain died from complications following a stroke at his home in Hawai’i on Saturday (March 29) at 11:15 p.m. local time, his publicist, Harlan Boll, confirmed to Variety. The Beverly Hills native co-founded a Los Angeles-based theater group in 1960, at which point he started appearing in film and television roles.
Chamberlain’s first big break came as the titular character on the NBC medical drama series Dr. Kildare in 1961, which ran for nearly 20 episodes until 1966.
“I was aware this was the answer to all my dreams. Then the show became a huge success, and that was just mesmerizing,” Chamberlain told TV Insider in 2024.
Chamberlain was later dubbed the ‘King of the miniseries’ for roles in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Centennial in the 1980s. Shogun, which was adapted from the 1975 James Carvell novel, was later remade by FX in 2024, winning a record 18 Emmy Awards.
Chamberlain told TV Insider that his role as Ralph de Bricassart in The Thorn Birds was the one he was most proud of.
“It had a kind of international effect on the world that was amazing. And working with Barbara Stanwyck, of course, was just brilliant, and Rachel [Ward] and all those fabulous people,” he said.
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