Richard Chamberlain, the handsome actor who won hearts as Dr. Kildare in the 1960s and ruled TV miniseries like Shogun and The Thorn Birds, died on Saturday, March 29, 2025. He was 90 years old—just two days shy of his 91st birthday—and passed away at his home in Waimānalo, Hawaii, from problems after a stroke, his publicist Harlan Boll told reporters Sunday. Fans and friends are mourning a guy who went from a teen idol to a big-time actor over six decades.
Chamberlain’s big break came in 1961 when he played Dr. James Kildare, a kind young doctor on NBC’s Dr. Kildare. With his blond hair and easy smile, he had teenage girls crazy for him—12,000 fan letters a week poured in. The show ran five years, and he won a Golden Globe in 1963 for being the best TV actor.
“It took off all over the world,” he said in a 2021 chat, happy it made him a star. But he didn’t want to just be a pretty face—he headed to England after the show to get serious about acting.
In 1969, he took on Hamlet at England’s Birmingham Repertory Theatre, surprising folks who thought he was just a TV guy.
British critics liked his guts and charm, and it changed how people saw him. Back in the U.S., he hit it big again in the 1980s with TV miniseries. First came Shogun in 1980, where he played a tough English sailor in old Japan—he won another Golden Globe for that. Then in 1983, he was Father Ralph in The Thorn Birds, a priest torn between love and duty with Rachel Ward, grabbing a third Golden Globe. They called him the “king of the miniseries” for those hits.
Born George Richard Chamberlain on March 31, 1934, in Beverly Hills, California, he grew up with his parents, Charles and Elsa, and an older brother, Bill. His dad sold stuff for stores and fought drinking troubles, which made home tough sometimes. Richard found acting at Pomona College, but the Army called him to Korea for two years in the 1950s. After that, he chased his dream, starting with small TV parts before Dr. Kildare made him huge.
He did movies too—played Aramis in The Three Musketeers films and the first Jason Bourne in a 1988 TV movie. Later, he popped up on shows like Will & Grace and Twin Peaks. But his personal life stayed quiet for years. In 2003, at 68, he wrote Shattered Love, telling the world he was gay after hiding it to keep his career safe. “I had no fear left,” he said in 2019, glad to be free. He’d been with his partner, Martin Rabbett, for 30 years—they split in 2010 but stayed close.
Rabbett spoke Sunday, saying,
“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He’s free and soaring to those loved ones before us. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing soul.”
Chamberlain lived in Hawaii for years, loving the peace there. His last role was in 2021’s Echoes of the Past. Now, fans remember a guy who sang hits in the ‘60s, ruled TV in the ‘80s, and showed you can grow from a heartthrob into a real actor. His stroke hit quick, and though services aren’t set yet, people are asked to give to NPR or the Hawaii Humane Society instead of flowers.