Actor Richard Chamberlain passed away March 29 at his home in Waimanalo, Hawaii due to complications of a stroke. He was 90. The news was confirmed by spokesman Harlan Boll .
Born March 31, 1934 in Beverly Hills, California, Mr. Chamberlain attended Beverly Hills High and Pomona College, graduating with a degree in art history and painting. Mr. Chamberlain served in the United States Army from 1956-1958.
After his time stationed in Korea, Mr. Chamberlain returned to Los Angeles, and began guest starring on TV series including Bourbon Street, Mr. Lucky, Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Gunsmoke. He also co-founded Company of Angels, an L.A.-based theatre group.
At the age of 27, Mr. Chamberlain rose to fame for his performance in the title role of NBC's medical drama Dr. Kildare, which aired from 1961-1966. Mr. Chamberlain also gained recognition as a vocalist in the early 1960s, releasing his first album, Richard Chamberlain Sings. He also appeared on the soundtracks of MGM soap opera features Twilight of Honor and Joy in the Morning.
Mr. Chamberlain made his Broadway debut in the ill-fated musical adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1966; the production only played four previews. He returned to the stage in 1976 to play Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon in Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance.
In addition to hosting the 1981 Tony Awards alongside Ellen Burstyn, Mr. Chamberlain would later take on roles on Broadway including Charles in No毛l Coward's Blithe Spirit in 1987, Henry Higgins in the 1993 revival of My Fair Lady, and Captain Georg von Trapp in the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music.
Mr. Chamberlain was active in theatre in England as well, starring in productions including Hamlet at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, which made him the first American to play the role there since John Barrymore in 1925. Mr. Chamberlain reprised his performance for television.
Mr. Chamberlain appeared in numerous films throughout the 1970s, including The Music Lovers, Lady Caroline Lamb, The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Slipper and the Rose. During the last couple decades of his life, Mr. Chamberlain transitioned to appear mainly as a guest star in various television series, including Will & Grace, Hustle, Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, Leverage, and ore. He returned to the stage a few times, though: In 2005, he starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in the national tour of Scrooge: The Musical, and in 2008 and 2009, he played King Arthur in the national tour of Spamalot.
Chamberlain's autobiography, Shattered Love: A Memoir was published in 2003. Aside from his career in performance, Mr. Chamberlain also championed ecological causes, and his lobbying efforts to save the Tuolumne River helped to put it under the protection of the U.S.'s National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Mr. Chamberlain is survived by his "lifelong partner and best friend" Martin Rabbett.
Donations may be made to NPR or the Hawaiian Humane Society in Mr. Chamberlain's memory.
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