Richard Chamberlain, the actor best known for his role in the 1960s medical drama Dr Kildare and leading role in Shogun, has died aged 90, his publicist has confirmed to the BBC.
Chamberlain earned the title “king of the mini-series” for his leading roles in Shogun and The Thorn Birds.
He died late on Saturday night local time (10:15 GMT Sunday) in Waimanalo, Hawaii, after suffering complications from a stroke, his publicist Harlan Boll confirmed – just hours before he would have turned 91.
Martin Rabbett, Chamberlain’s longtime partner, called him an “amazing and loving soul” in a statement.
He said: “Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us.”
Babbett added: “Love never dies. And our love is under his wings, lifting him to his next great adventure.”
Chamberlain’s big break came in 1961, when he became a household name as Dr James Kildare in Dr Kildare. The show, based on a popular 1930s and 40s film series, drew millions of viewers and made him a beloved figure.
He became king of the 1980s TV mini-series, playing a western prisoner in Shogun and a catholic priest tempted by love in The Thorn Birds.
The latter won 60% of the US television audience and earned 16 Emmy nominations.
He denied being gay when confronted by a French magazine in 1989, and did not speak publicly about his homosexuality until he turned 70.
Chamberlain revealed he was gay in his 2003 biography Shattered Love. Despite a 30-year relationship with actor-director Rabbett, they had kept their private life secret.
In interviews promoting the memoir, he advised other handsome leading actors to keep their sexuality to themselves.
“I thought there was something very, very deeply wrong with me,” Chamberlain admitted. The couple parted ways in 2010.
Chamberlain was born on 31 March 1934, in Beverly Hills, California.
