Richard Chamberlain, the beloved ‘Dr. Kildare,’ passed away aged 90 and now the final days of his life are coming to light.
When he first appeared on screen, he was dubbed, “The slim, butter-haired hunk with the near-perfect Ivy-League charm and smooth, intelligent demeanor, had the distaff fans fawning unwavering over him.”
Ever since he was very young, Richard imagined himself playing on stage and on screen. “We used to go to double-bills on a dime and I thought, ‘Whoa, that’s a good place to be—up on the screen,’” he recalled speaking to Palm Spring Life. “I was always fascinated with the idea of being an actor. The problem was I was always a little withdrawn, shy, and not very sure of myself. But the people up on screen seemed so confident.”
After landing the role of Dr. Kildare, Richard Chamberlain became one of the most beloved actors with millions of fans.
Dr. Kildare brought him not only fame, but also a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963.
The series followed the life of Dr. Kildare and his relationship with his mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie, played by Raymond Massey, at the fictional “Blair General Hospital.”
The reason why people loved the series so much, according to the star himself, was that the doctor was portrayed as caring and someone who was always there for his patients.
In 2003, at the age of almost 70, Richard finally confessed what he tried hiding most of his life, that he was a homosexual. He made the confession through his book, Shattered Love. Some of his closest colleagues said they knew deep down that Richard loved men.
Speaking to the New York Times, the actor who was ranked at No. 7 in TV Guide’s list of “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols” said, “When you grow up in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s being gay, it not only ain’t easy, it’s just impossible. You cannot do it, that being gay was the worst thing you can possibly be. I assumed there was something terribly wrong with me. And even becoming famous and all that, it was still there.”
In the 1970s, The Thorn Birds star started dating actor Wesley Eure. He then got romantically involved with actor and producer Martin Rabbett, who, like Eure, was 20 years his junior. The couple separated in 2010.
Richard’s passing was announced by Rabbett, who remained close friends with the actor until the very end.
In a statement, Rabbett wrote, “Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul.”
He added, “Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.”
The cause of death was listed as complications after a stroke. His last on-screen appearance came in the 2018 horror film Nightmare Cinema, where he portrayed the character Dr. Mirari.
The actor’s last social media post was an interview he recorded in early December. Before that, he hadn’t posted anything since 2022.
Occasionally, he posted throwback photos from his roles.
Back in March, 2023, music educator Ira Wong posted two photos of himself and Richard Chamberlain on which the actor appeared happy and vibrant, pretty much as he had always been. Despite life’s struggles and Hollywood’s pressures, he remained the same charismatic, down-to-earth star.
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