Richard Chamberlain had only 5 brief appearances as a guest star on TV before getting his big break - the starring role on “Dr. Kildare” with 5 seasons and nearly 200 episodes. As the thoughtful and earnest James Kildare, Chamberlain won the hearts of teenage girls (and probably a few boys too) across the US.
When the series ended, he continued to act on TV and movies. Throughout the 1970s he starred in such acclaimed films as Ken Russell’s “The Music Lovers” (1970), Richard Lester’s “The Three Musketeers” (1973) and the sequel (1974), and as the cowardly archetect in Irwin Allen’s “The Towering Inferno” (1974).
During this time Chamberlain began a two year relationship with Wesley Eure, a young actor who started in the kids program “Land of the Lost”.
After his relationship with Eure ended, Chamberlain met actor Martin Rabbett. The two eventually moved together to Hawaii where the they entered a civil union.
By 1980 he earned the title “King of the Mini-Series” with starring roles in Centennial (1978–79), Shōgun (1980), and The Thorn Birds (1983).
In 1989, a French magazine outed Chamberlain as gay. He continued to act in Hollywood but did not publicly address his homosexuality until his autobiography “Shattered Love: A Memoir” (2003).
After over 30s with Rabbett, the couple separated and Chamberlain returned to Hollywood. He said, “… we’re much better friends than we’ve ever been.”
