Richard Chamberlain, Emmy-nominated actor known for Dr. Kildare, Shogun, and The Thorn Birds, died at 90..
. Read More Richard Chamberlain, the Emmy-nominated actor and 1960s heartthrob who rose to fame in the TV medical drama Dr. Kildare and starred in the mini-series Shogun and The Thorn Birds, has passed away at the age of 90, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.
Chamberlain passed away late Saturday in Hawaii due to complications from a stroke, his publicist Harlan Boll said in a statement on Sunday. Chamberlain became an instant sensation and a teen idol as the dashing Dr. James Kildare in the hit series, which aired from 1961 to 1966.
The Guardian once described the then 27-year-old actor as looking “like he had been sculpted by a loving god out of butter, honey, and grace." Chamberlain’s breakout role marked the beginning of a six-decade career spanning theater, film, and television. Dubbed the “king of the mini-series" in the 1980s, he captivated audiences with his performances in several TV dramas.
On stage, he earned acclaim in a variety of roles, from Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady and Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Richard II. He also portrayed the original Jason Bourne in the 1988 mini-series The Bourne Identity. “What’s fascinating about Richard is that his range is enormous.
His ability to be different each time out is what makes him such a valuable property," producer Susan Baerwald told the New York.
