George Richard ChamberlainBorn : 31-Mar-1934
Birthplace : Los Angeles, CA
Father : Charles Chamberlain
Mother : Elsa
Boyfriend : Martin Rabbett (actor/etc, together 27 years)
Occupation : Actor
Nationality : United States
Executive summary : Dr. Kildare and Shogun
Military service : US Army (Korean War, discharged 1959)
George Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961–1966).
Richard Chamberlain is the second son of Charles and Elsa Chamberlain, brother Bill is six years older. RC's family were relatively well-off (although they weren't anywhere near as wealthy as some residents of Beverly Hills), his father being the owner of a successful business which manufactured fixtures for supermarkets. Actor Richard Chamberlain was THE leading TV heartthrob of the early 60s. Most people know Richard Chamberlain from the television series "Dr. Kildare" in which Richard played the part of Dr. James Kildare. Richard starred in the series for five seasons from 1961 to 1966. However, those too young to have seen "Dr. Kildare" it was Richard Chamberlain's performance in the mini television series "Shogun" in 1980 and "The Thorn Birds" in 1983 in which Richard played the part of Ralph de Bricassart that bought him to the attention of many people.
Richard Chamberlain is the second son of Charles and Elsa Chamberlain, brother Bill is six years older. RC's family were relatively well-off (although they weren't anywhere near as wealthy as some residents of Beverly Hills), his father being the owner of a successful business which manufactured fixtures for supermarkets. Actor Richard Chamberlain was THE leading TV heartthrob of the early 60s. Most people know Richard Chamberlain from the television series "Dr. Kildare" in which Richard played the part of Dr. James Kildare. Richard starred in the series for five seasons from 1961 to 1966. However, those too young to have seen "Dr. Kildare" it was Richard Chamberlain's performance in the mini television series "Shogun" in 1980 and "The Thorn Birds" in 1983 in which Richard played the part of Ralph de Bricassart that bought him to the attention of many people.
Richard headed for Hollywood soon after his discharge and within a couple of years had worked up a decent resumé with a number of visible guest spots on such series as "Gunsmoke" and "Mr. Lucky". With the arrival of "Dr. Kildare" (1961), however, he became an "overnight" sensation, a huge pin-up favorite and source of idol-worship for teenagers everywhere. It also sparked a brief singing career for the actor. The attention Richard received was phenomenal. He subsequently advanced into the usual soap-styled leads on film befitting his image but Twilight of Honor (1963) with Joey Heatherton and Joy in the Morning (1965) opposite Yvette Mimieux did not score for him the screen fame expected. Crossover stardom is elusive and at the time he was considered strictly a TV commodity with a glossy "Prince Charming" image to shoulder on top of that.
Richard Chamberlain resided in Hawaii with his partner, actor-writer-producer Martin Rabbett, from the mid-1970s to 2010. Rabbett and Chamberlain starred together in Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, in which they played brothers Allan and Robeson Quatermain. Richard Chamberlain was outed by the French women's magazine Nous Deux in December 1989 but it was not until 2003, at the age of 69, that he came out in his autobiography, Shattered Love (ISBN 0060087439). In the spring of 2010 Chamberlain moved from Maui to Los Angeles because of work possibilities, leaving Rabbett in Hawaii, at least temporarily.
In later years he devoted a great deal of his time to musical stage tours as Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady", Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" and Ebenezer Scrooge in "Scrooge: The Musical". Enormously private, Richard moved to Hawaii quite some time ago and at age 69 decided to "come out" with a tell-all biography entitled "Shattered Love," in which he quite candidly discussed the anguish of hiding his homosexuality to protect his enduring matinée idol image. Recently he has shown himself to be a good sport, appearing in the gay-themed comedy film I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) and in TV episodes of "Will & Grace" and "Desperate Housewives".
In 1962 Chamberlain won the Golden Apple award for Most Cooperative actor. In 1963 he won a Golden Globe award for Best TV Star - Male for: Dr. Kildare (1961). He won the Photoplay Award for Most Popular Male Star for three consecutive years, including 1962, 1963, 1964. In 1980 he won the Golden Apple award for Male Star of the Year. In 1981 he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama for: Shogun (1980). In 1982 he won the Clavell de Plata award at the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival as Best Actor for The Last Wave (1977). In 1984 he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for: The Thorn Birds (1983). In 1985 he won the Aftonbladet TV Prize (Sweden) for Best Foreign TV Personality - Male. On 12 March 2011, Chamberlain received the Steiger Award (Germany) for accomplishments in the arts.
Richard Chamberlain resided in Hawaii with his partner, actor-writer-producer Martin Rabbett, from the mid-1970s to 2010. Rabbett and Chamberlain starred together in Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, in which they played brothers Allan and Robeson Quatermain. Richard Chamberlain was outed by the French women's magazine Nous Deux in December 1989 but it was not until 2003, at the age of 69, that he came out in his autobiography, Shattered Love (ISBN 0060087439). In the spring of 2010 Chamberlain moved from Maui to Los Angeles because of work possibilities, leaving Rabbett in Hawaii, at least temporarily.
In later years he devoted a great deal of his time to musical stage tours as Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady", Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" and Ebenezer Scrooge in "Scrooge: The Musical". Enormously private, Richard moved to Hawaii quite some time ago and at age 69 decided to "come out" with a tell-all biography entitled "Shattered Love," in which he quite candidly discussed the anguish of hiding his homosexuality to protect his enduring matinée idol image. Recently he has shown himself to be a good sport, appearing in the gay-themed comedy film I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) and in TV episodes of "Will & Grace" and "Desperate Housewives".
In 1962 Chamberlain won the Golden Apple award for Most Cooperative actor. In 1963 he won a Golden Globe award for Best TV Star - Male for: Dr. Kildare (1961). He won the Photoplay Award for Most Popular Male Star for three consecutive years, including 1962, 1963, 1964. In 1980 he won the Golden Apple award for Male Star of the Year. In 1981 he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama for: Shogun (1980). In 1982 he won the Clavell de Plata award at the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival as Best Actor for The Last Wave (1977). In 1984 he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for: The Thorn Birds (1983). In 1985 he won the Aftonbladet TV Prize (Sweden) for Best Foreign TV Personality - Male. On 12 March 2011, Chamberlain received the Steiger Award (Germany) for accomplishments in the arts.
No comments:
Post a Comment