Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain | |
---|---|
Born | George Richard Chamberlain March 31, 1934 |
Education | Pomona College (B.A., 1956)[1] |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1958–present |
Partners |
|
George Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961–1966). He subsequently appeared in several miniseries, such as Shōgun (1980) and The Thorn Birds (1983) and was the first to play Jason Bourne in the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity. Chamberlain has also performed classical stage roles and worked in musical theatre.
Early life
Chamberlain was born in 1934 in Beverly Hills, California,[2] the second son of Elsa Winnifred (née von Benzon; later Matthews) and Charles Axion Chamberlain, who was a salesman.[3][4][5] In 1952, Chamberlain graduated from Beverly Hills High School and later attended Pomona College (class of 1956).[1][6] Chamberlain was drafted into the United States Army, attaining the rank of sergeant while serving in Korea from 1956 to 1958.[7][8][9]
Career
Chamberlain co-founded a Los Angeles–based theatre group,
At the end of the 1960s, Chamberlain spent a period of time in England, where he played in repertory theatre and in the BBC's Portrait of a Lady adaptation, becoming recognized as a serious actor. In 1969, he starred opposite Katharine Hepburn in the film The Madwoman of Chaillot. While in England, he took vocal coaching and in 1969 performed the title role in Hamlet for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, becoming the first American to play the role there since John Barrymore in 1925. He received excellent notices and reprised the role for television in 1970 for the Hallmark Hall of Fame. A recording of the presentation was released by RCA Red Seal Records and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In the 1970s, Chamberlain appeared in The Music Lovers (1970), Lady Caroline Lamb (playing Lord Byron; 1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Lady's Not for Burning (made for television, 1974), The Towering Inferno (in a villainous turn as a dishonest engineer, 1974), and The Count of Monte Cristo (1975). In The Slipper and the Rose (1976), a musical version of the Cinderella story, co-starring Gemma Craven, he displayed his vocal talents. A television film, William Bast's The Man in the Iron Mask (1977), followed. The same year, he starred in Peter Weir's film The Last Wave.
Chamberlain later appeared in several popular television mini-series (earning him a nickname of "King of the Mini-Series"),
Since 1990
Since the 1990s, Chamberlain has appeared mainly in television films, on stage, and as a guest star on such series as
In 2008 and 2009, Chamberlain appeared as King Arthur in the national tour of Monty Python's Spamalot. In 2010, he appeared as Archie Leach in season 3, episode 3 of the series Leverage,[13] as well as two episodes of season 4 of Chuck where he played a villain known only as The Belgian.[14] Chamberlain has also appeared in several episodes of Brothers & Sisters, playing an old friend and love-interest of Saul's.[15] He also appeared in the independent film We Are the Hartmans in 2011. In 2012, Chamberlain appeared on stage in the Pasadena Playhouse as Dr. Sloper in the play The Heiress.[16]
In 2017, Chamberlain appeared in
Personal life
Chamberlain was not open about his homosexuality for most of his career, to protect his privacy and his acting opportunities.[17] He was outed by the French women's magazine Nous Deux in December 1989, but did not confirm it until his 2003 autobiography Shattered Love: A Memoir.[18]
Chamberlain was involved romantically with actor Wesley Eure in the 1970s.[19]
In 1977, Chamberlain began a long-term relationship with Martin Rabbett, an actor, like Eure, 20 years his junior.[17] Rabbett played the brother of Chamberlain's lead character in the 1986 film Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold. They began living together in Hawaii in 1986 and had a private commitment ceremony.[17] The couple split amicably in 2010, with Chamberlain moving to Los Angeles.[20] In a 2014 interview, Chamberlain said that while he and Rabbett were no longer intimately involved, they remained close friends.[21]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | Photoplay Awards
|
Most Popular Male Star | — | Won | ||
1964 | — | Won | ||||
1965 | — | Won | ||||
1985 | Aftonbladet TV Prize | Best Foreign TV Personality – Male | — | Won | ||
1978 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Last Wave | Nominated | [22] | |
1985 | Bravo Otto | Best Male TV Star | — | Won | ||
1977 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | The Night of the Iguana | Nominated | [23] | |
1962 | Golden Apple Awards | Most Cooperative Actor | — | Won | ||
1963 | — | Won | ||||
1980 | Male Star of the Year | — | Won | |||
1962 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Star – Male | Dr. Kildare | Won | [24] | |
1979 | Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama | Centennial | Nominated | |||
1980 | Shōgun | Won | ||||
1983 | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | The Thorn Birds | Won | |||
1985 | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Nominated | ||||
1988 | The Bourne Identity | Nominated | ||||
1971 | Grammy Awards | Best Spoken Word Recording | Hamlet | Nominated | [25] | |
2012 | Hawaii International Film Festival | EuroCinema Hawai'i Lifetime Achievement Award | — | Won | ||
1963 | Favorite Male Motion Picture Star | — | Nominated | |||
1975 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy | The Count of Monte Cristo | Nominated | [26] | |
1981 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special | Shōgun | Nominated | |||
1983 | The Thorn Birds | Nominated | ||||
1985 | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Nominated | ||||
1982 | Sitges Film Festival | Best Actor | The Last Wave | Won | ||
2003 | TV Land Awards | Classic TV Doctor of the Year | Dr. Kildare | Nominated | ||
2011 | Steiger Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | — | Won | ||
2023 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Television Hall of Fame: Actors | — | Inducted | [27] |
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1960 | The Secret of the Purple Reef | Dean Christopher | |
1961 | A Thunder of Drums | Lt. Porter | |
1963 | Twilight of Honor | David Mitchell | |
1965 | Joy in the Morning | Carl Brown | |
1968 | Petulia | David Danner | |
1969 | The Madwoman of Chaillot | Roderick | |
1970 | Julius Caesar | Octavius | |
1970 | The Music Lovers | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | |
1972 | Lady Caroline Lamb | Lord Byron | |
1973 | The Three Musketeers | Aramis | |
1974 | The Towering Inferno | Roger Simmons | |
1974 | The Four Musketeers | Aramis | |
1975 | The Christmas Messenger | Christmas Messenger | Short film |
1976 | The Slipper and the Rose | Prince Edward | |
1977 | The Last Wave | David Burton | Nominated—AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
1978 | The Swarm | Dr. Hubbard | |
1982 | Murder by Phone | Nat Bridger | a.k.a. Bells |
1985 | King Solomon's Mines | Allan Quatermain | |
1986 | Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold | Allan Quatermain | |
1989 | The Return of the Musketeers | Aramis | |
1995 | Bird of Prey | Jonathan Griffith | |
1997 | A River Made to Drown In
|
Thaddeus MacKenzie | |
2004 | The Pavilion | Huddlestone | |
2006 | Strength and Honour | Denis O'Leary | |
2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
|
Councilman Banks | |
2011 | The Perfect Family | Monsignor Murphy | |
2011 | We Are the Hartmans | Hartman | |
2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Highfather | Voice role |
2018 | Nightmare Cinema
|
Dr. Mirari |
Television films
Television series
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1959 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Clay Pine | Season 5 Episode 11: "Road Hog" |
1960 | Rescue 8 | — | Episode: "High Explosive" |
1960 | Bourbon Street Beat | Dale Wellington | Episode: "Target of Hate" |
1960 | Gunsmoke | Pete | Episode: "The Bobsy Twins" |
1960 | Mr. Lucky | Alec | Episode: "Operation Fortuna" |
1960 | Thriller
|
Larry Carter | Episode: "The Watcher" |
1960 | Riverboat | Lt. Dave Winslow | Episode: "Chicota Landing" |
1961–66 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. James Kildare | Title character Golden Globe Award for Best Television Star – Male |
1961 | The Deputy | Jerry | Episode: "Edge of Doubt" |
1961 | Whispering Smith | Chris Harrington | Episode: "Stain of Justice" |
1963 | The Eleventh Hour | Dr. James Kildare | Episode: "Four Feet in the Morning" |
1968 | The Portrait of a Lady | Ralph Touchett | Main cast |
1978–79 | Centennial | Alexander McKeag | Miniseries, main cast Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama |
1980 | Shōgun | John Blackthorne | Miniseries, main cast Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special |
1989–90 | Island Son | Dr. Daniel Kulani | Main cast |
2000 | Touched by an Angel | Everett/Jack Clay | Episode: "The Face on the Bar Room Floor" |
2002 | The Drew Carey Show | Maggie Wick | 2 episodes |
2005 | Will & Grace | Clyde | Episode: "Steams Like Old Times" |
2006 | Hustle | James Whittaker Wright III | Episode: "Whittaker Our Way Out" |
2006 | Nip/Tuck | Arthur Stiles | Episode: "Blu Mondae" |
2007 | Desperate Housewives | Glen Wingfield | Episode: "Distant Past" |
2010–12 | Leverage | Archie Leach | 2 episodes |
2010 | Chuck | Adelbert De Smet | 2 episodes |
2010–11 | Brothers & Sisters
|
Jonathan Byrold | Recurring role (season 5) |
2011 | ThunderCats | Zigg | Episode: "Forest of Magi Oar", voice role |
2017 | Twin Peaks
|
Bill Kennedy | Episode: "Part Four" |
Discography
From Richard Chamberlain Sings: UK #8[28]
- "UK #12[28]
- "Love Me Tender" (1962) – US #21; UK #15[28]
- "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1963) – US #14
- "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" (1963) – US #64; UK #20[28]
- "I Will Love You" (1963) – US #65
- "True Love" (1963) – US #98; UK #30[28]
- From Twilight of Honor
- "Blue Guitar"/"They Long to Be Close to You" (1963) – US #42
- From Richard Chamberlain (aka Joy in the Morning)
- "Joy in the Morning" (1964)
- "Rome Will Never Leave You" (1964) – US #99
- "Secret Kingdom" (1976)
- "He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me" (1976)
- "What a Comforting Thing to Know" (1976)
- "Why Can't I Be Two People?" (1976)
- "Bride-Finding Ball" (1976)
- From Haleakala: How Maui Snared The Sun/Clarinet Concerto
- "Haleakala: How Maui Snared The Sun (Tone Poem) (1991), composed by Dan Welcher, performed with the Honolulu Symphony"
Published works
- Chamberlain, Richard (2003). Shattered Love: A Memoir. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-008743-9.
References
- ^ a b "Richard Chamberlain". Biography. April 17, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- Cengage. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Ancestry of William Shattuck". Wargs.com. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ "Richard Chamberlain Online Article 139". Richard-chamberlain.co.uk. March 31, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ Foote, Abraham W. (1932). "Foote family, comprising the genealogy and history of Nathaniel Foote, of Wethersfield, Conn., and his descendants; also a partial record of descendants of Pasco Foote of Salem, Mass., Richard Foote of Stafford County, Va., and John Foote of New York City". Burlington, Vt.: Free Press Printing Co. p. 33.
- ^ Rognlien, Gretchen (August 3, 2015). "Celebrate!". Pomona College Alumni Magazine: 46. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
Claremont in Entertainment and Media panel featuring Richard Chamberlain '56.
- ^ Richard Chamberlain, Biography (1934–) Biography.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Heartthrob Richard Chamberlain Disliked & Feared Himself ‘Intensely’ Hiding Sexuality for Years news.amomama.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Richard Chamberlain, Biography www.richardchamberlain.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Kuchwara, Michael (December 10, 1993). "Richard Chamberlain Stars in a Revival of 'My Fair Lady' on Broadway". Associated Press. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Simonson, Robert; McGrath, Seth (February 4, 1999). "Laura Benanti & Richard Chamberlain To Make Bway Sound of Music Mar. 10". Playbill.
- ^ Harmetz, Aljean (May 1, 1988). "Richard Chamberlain's Mini-Series Mastery". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ^ Bacalzo, Dan (November 18, 2008). "Notice of Chamberlain's national tour in Spamalot". Theatermania.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Chuck – Episode 4.09 – Chuck versus Phase Three – Synopsis". SpoilerTV.com. November 2, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (October 12, 2010). "'Brothers & Sisters' Exclusive: Richard Chamberlain joins the cast as... Saul's ex?". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (February 16, 2012). "Pasadena Playhouse's Heiress Will Star Heather Tom, Julia Duffy and Richard Chamberlain". Playbill.
- ^ a b c "Interview 41". www.richard-chamberlain.co.uk. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (December 27, 2010). "Out gay actor Richard Chamberlain says he 'wouldn't advise' closeted gay actors to come out. Didn't seem to hurt his career". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Giddens, Jamey (March 28, 2015). "Wesley Eure: "I Got Fired From DAYS for Being Gay"". Daytime Confidential.
- ^ "Richard Chamberlain returns to LA". Belfast Telegraph. April 12, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- Australian Film Institute Awards. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1977 Awards". Drama Desk Awards. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Richard Chamberlain". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Richard Chamberlain". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Richard Chamberlain". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Television Hall of Fame: Actors". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1904994107.