“When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten. I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it and became ‘Perfect Richard, All-American Boy’ as a place to hide.”
Richard Chamberlain
(March 31, 1934 - March 29, 2025)
Richard Chamberlain, born in 1934, rose to fame as a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1960s, starring in Dr. Kildare and later cementing his legacy with roles in The Thorn Birds and Shōgun.
Despite his status as a matinee idol, Chamberlain spent much of his career in the closet, fearing that coming out would end his career.
In 2003, at the age of 69, he publicly came out as gay in Shattered Love: A Memoir, making him one of the few leading men of his era to do so. Though he acknowledged his struggles with living authentically in a Hollywood that demanded secrecy, his late-life honesty helped pave the way for greater acceptance of LGBTQ actors.
As a “reluctant pioneer,” Chamberlain's journey reflects the challenges of queer identity in the entertainment industry and the quiet courage of those who eventually embrace their truth.
VINTAGE PHOTOS
MUSIC
Sleeping Vines / Stay with Us
Franz Gordon / Remembering Summer
Peter Sandberg / Remove The Complexities
Lars Meyer / Memories Of The Green Valley
Anna Landström / Remembering the Days
Sleeping Vines / Throwaway Star
Courtesy Of Epidemic Sound
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At every age, such a beautiful man. I hope his 90 years were rich and full and happy.
That was great. He was sooooo wholesomely HOT!!!! Delicious and extremely talented. Thanks for putting this together.
A beautiful tribute for a wonderful person. Thank you for including some photos from Slipper and the Rose. He was the perfect, romantic prince in a musical of the Cinderella story. One of my favorite films. He was an incredibly talented person and I'm so glad much of his work has been preserved on film. Thank you, Clint, for another beautiful montage.