Information on richard chamberlain actor biography

American actor (born 1934)

For other people named Richard Chamberlain, see Richard Chamberlain (disambiguation).

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). Chamberlain has also performed classical stage roles and worked in musical theater.

He played the role of Aramis in the film trilogy The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers (1974), and The Return of the Musketeers (1989); portrayed Allan Quatermain in both King Solomon's Mines (1985) and Lost City of Gold (1986); and was the first to play Jason Bourne in the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity.

Early life

Chamberlain was born 31 March 1934 in Beverly Hills, California, the second son of Elsa Winnifred (née von Benzon; later Matthews) and Charles Axion Chamberlain, who was a salesman. In 1952, Chamberlain graduated from Beverly Hills High School, and later attended Pomona College (class of 1956). Chamberlain was drafted into the United States Army, attaining the rank of sergeant while serving in Korea from 1956 to 1958.

Career

Chamberlain co-founded a Los Angeles–based theater group, Company of Angels, and began appearing on television in guest roles in the early 1960s. In 1961, he gained widespread fame as the young intern Dr. James Kildare in the NBC/MGM television series of the same name, co-starring with Raymond Massey. Chamberlain's singing ability also led to some hit singles in the early 1960s, including the "Theme from Dr. Kildare", titled "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight", which struck No. 10 according to the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Dr. Kildare ended in 1966, after wh

(1934-)

Who Is Richard Chamberlain?

Actor Richard Chamberlain starred as the title character in the popular medical drama Dr. Kildare, which aired from 1961 to 1966. He later moved to England, where he played serious roles in various British stage productions, including Hamlet. Upon his return to the United States, Chamberlain assumed the role of romantic leading man in a number of TV films and miniseries, including Shogun (1980), The Thorn Birds (1983) and The Bourne Identity (1988).

Early Life

Born on March 31, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, Chamberlain starred in the popular 1960s medical series Dr. Kildare and several hit miniseries, including Shogun and The Thorn Birds. He grew up in Beverly Hills with his parents Chuck and Elsa and his older brother Bill. An actress and singer, his mother had many creative talents. His father’s battle with alcoholism, however, cast a shadow over Chamberlain’s childhood.

After graduating from Beverly Hills High, Chamberlain attended Pomona College in Claremont, California. There he studied painting and art history and got involved in student dramatic productions. During his senior year, Chamberlain had “a life-changing breakthrough as a neophyte actor,” he wrote in his 2003 memoir Shattered Love. He realized after performing in George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man that “maybe I could embrace my first love and actually become an actor!”

Unfortunately, fate forced Chamberlain to delay his acting dreams. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. “I hated being in the Army. . . . I don't like being ordered around. I don’t like ordering people around. I came out a sergeant. It was all just another role for me," Chamberlain later told The Advocate.

TV Successes: 'Kildare' and 'Thorn Birds'

In 1961, Chamberlain began his run on Dr. Kildare. This starring role as a kind, caring physician made him a household name and won him a Golden Globe Award in

Richard was born George Richard Chamberlain on the 31 March 1934 (not 1935 as stated in a lot of articles) in Beverly Hills, to parents Charles and Elsa Chamberlain. He was their second child, their first son was Bill aged 6 at the time of Richard's birth. His father Charles was a salesman for a company which made fittings for chain stores, which made the family reasonably well off.

Richard at 18 months old

Richard's mother and father, Elsa and Charles Chamberlain, and brother Bill

Two years after Richard was born his parents moved the few miles from Los Angeles to Hollywood into a seven-roomed house in Beverly Hills.

Richard at 6-years old

Richard started school at the Beverly Vista Grammer School.

Richard at 13-years old

He then went onto the Beverly Hills High School. When he graduated from school he was voted the best-mannered boy in the class. Richard then went on to study art at California's famous Pomona College in Claremont, twenty-five miles from Hollywood. There, he majored in Applied Art and was gradually drawn to the College theatre groups. It was during this period that the acting bug struck him. On graduation, he decided he wanted to be an actor and began to make the rounds of the studios, but soon found himself in uniform instead, and served two years in Korea, emerging with a set of sergeant's stripes.

Back in Los Angeles, he found himself an actor's agent and again began making the rounds of the studios. Richard drifted into occasional roles on such shows as "Gunsmoke" playing Pete in the episode 'The Bobsy Twins' and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" playing Clay Pine in the episode 'Road Hog.' He managed, in an obscure way, to make a living and to cram in some acting lessons in his free time, of which he then had no shortage.

Meanwhile, back at MGM, the studio was preparing a television version of "Dr. Kildare", one of the studio's most successful movie properties, and having already decided upon Raymond Massey to play the role of

A popular and versatile actor with a 40-year career spanning film, stage, pop music and television, Richard Chamberlain overcame the "handsome face" label that dogged him during his stint on TV's "Dr. Kildare" (NBC, 1961-66) appearing in some of the most widely-seen projects in entertainment history, including the epic miniseries "Shogun," "Centennial," and most memorably, "The Thorn Birds." At the same time, he won the acceptance of the theater world with performances in acclaimed productions on both sides of the Atlantic. Additionally, he triumphed in his personal life as well by, not only launching a successful second career as an artist, but by revealing his struggles as a gay man forced to conceal his sexuality in Hollywood for the past four decades.

Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills, CA on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain excelled at both sports and art while a student. The latter became his primary passion while attending Pomona College, and he might have signed with Paramount Pictures, had he not been required to serve in Korea for 16 months. After his return to the States, Chamberlain studied under noted acting teacher Jeff Corey and co-founded the Los Angeles theater group Company of Angels. He began landing his first screen roles in the late '50s and early '60s on TV series such as "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975) "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS/NBC, 1955-62) and in several undistinguished theatrical features.

In 1961, Chamberlain's career took off with his performance as the title role in "Dr. Kildare," a medical drama about a young intern learning the ropes at a major hospital. Chamberlain's good looks helped make him an overnight sensation and a heartthrob of the first order; his pin-up status was further solidified by a string of pop singles he recorded between 1962 and 1963. But Chamberlain sought more for his acting career than an avid fan base. He attempted to break free of the Kildare image in two theatrical feature