Richard Chamberlain, the actor who became a household name in the 1960s as the young, handsome Dr. James Kildare and later earned acclaim in epic miniseries like Shōgun and The Thorn Birds, died March 29 at his home in Waimānalo. He was 90.
The cause was complications from a stroke, according to his longtime partner, Martin Rabbett.
His breakout role as Dr. Kildare in the NBC series, which aired from 1961 to 1966, made him a teen idol and earned him a Golden Globe.
Looking to avoid typecasting, Chamberlain moved to England after Dr. Kildare and took on classical roles, including a well-received turn as Hamlet.
His film work included roles as Aramis in The Three Musketeers (1973) and its sequels, and as adventurer Allan Quatermain in King Solomon’s Mines (1985) and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986).
In his 2003 memoir Shattered Love, Chamberlain came out as gay, reflecting on the challenges of maintaining a leading man image in Hollywood while keeping his sexuality private.