Richard Chamberlain: Surprising Facts About the Star of “The Thorn Birds”
Learn little-known facts about Richard Chamberlain, star of “The Thorn Birds” and “Dr. Kildare,” in this deep dive into his remarkable life.
Richard Chamberlain, 31 de março de 1934 (idade 85 anos)
– George Richard Chamberlain was born in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934. His childhood was marked by the strong influence of his mother, who, although she did not pursue an artistic career, sang very well and was extremely creative. His father, however, was an alcoholic, causing problems for everyone in the family. He also had a brother.
– The future actor soon developed a special talent for the arts, initially dedicating himself to painting. It was there that he began to fall in love with theater, acting in student plays. His dreams, however, were postponed by the war. He was forced to enlist in the army, becoming a sergeant. A great difficulty, since according to him, he hated being ordered around and ordering people around. – He is one of the founders of the theater group Company of Angels. And it was through these contacts that he began acting on television in the 1950s. He would draw attention in the series Dr. Kildare (1961 – 1964), where he worked alongside Raymond Massey.
– He later moved to England, dedicating himself to theatrical productions. One of his most notable roles was in Hamlet, presented in 1969. He became the first American to play the role since John Barrymore in 1929. He received much critical acclaim and would reprise the role on television.
– Returning to the United States, he was cast in several films and miniseries in which he played romantic roles.
– In addition to acting, the actor was also an excellent singer. One of his greatest hits was Three Stars Will Shine Tonight, the theme song for the series Dr. Kildare.
– In 1969, he starred alongside Katharine Hepburn in The Madwoman of Chaillot. In the 1970s, he appeared in many notable films, including The Music Lovers (1973), Lady Caroline Lamb (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Count of Monte Cristo (1975), and The Man in the Iron Mask (1977).
– His most successful work was The Thorn Birds (1984), shown in Brazil as Pássaros Feridos. In the series, he plays a priest torn between the love of a woman and his ecclesiastical life. The series would be watched by millions of viewers around the world. The actor won an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
– Richard spent much of his life avoiding talking about his private life, denying his sexual orientation until the 2000s. It was only at the age of 69 that he decided to open up about the subject in his memoir, Shattered Love. The actor recounts the difficulties he faced in his youth, among them not being able to come out:
“It’s complicated. There is still an enormous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s unfortunate, it’s stupid, it’s cruel and immoral. Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about it in our extremely misguided culture. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay actor who gets leading roles to come out of the closet.”
– Among her loves was fellow actor Wesley Eure, with whom she acted in the early 1970s. But in 1977, Richard met the man who would become the love of her life: writer Martin Rabett.
– The two began living together in 1986. To guarantee Rabett’s rights, Richard legally adopted him. Although they no longer share the same roof at the time, the two remain together.
http://revistaquem.globo.com/Revista/Quem/0,,EMI198465-8224,00-RICHARD+CHAMBERLAIN+AINDA+HA+UMA+HOMOFOBIA+ENORME+EM+NOSSA+CULTURA.html
http://www.biography.com/people/richard-chamberlain-9243750
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000328/
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