dari imdb.com http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000328/bio
Mini biography
Actor Richard Chamberlain was THE leading TV heartthrob of the early 60s. As Dr. Kildare, the slim butter-haired hunk with his near-perfect Ivy-League good looks and charming demeanor, Richard became a huge star and had girls fawning all over him, but it didn't generate the fullfillment he was looking for. Born George Richard Chamberlain on March 31, 1934 in Beverly Hills, Richard excelled in track as a student, later expressing interest in acting while attending Pomona College. He ended up serving in the Korean War but headed for Hollywood and TV once his discharge came through in 1959. Within a couple of years he had worked up a number of guest roles to his resume, then won the role of "Dr. Kildare" (1961) and became an overnight sensation. He moved into the usual film leads such as Twilight of Honor (1963) with Joey Heatherton and Joy in the Morning (1965) with Yvette Mimieux but screen fame was not to be his. More interested in a reputation as a serious actor than the trivial adulation of youthful fans, the charismatic actor turned his back on Hollywood for a time and devoted himself to the stage. An important role in director Richard Lester's Petulia (1968) led Richard to England where he settled in quite comfortably as a classical stage actor. Repertory roles in England included brauvera performances of Hamlet (1969) and Richard II (1972) and he won over the not-easy-to-impress British audiences. With the old youthful reputation far behind him, Richard felt ready to return to America with renewed respect and a new outlook. He also won a huge TV following once again, but this time as the "King of 80s Minimovies." The monumental success of such challenging productions as "Thorn Birds, The" (1983) (mini) and "Shogun" (1980) (mini) put him right back up to the top. Richard even won modest box-office popularity with Three Musketeers, The (1973) as Aramis, and Towering Inferno, The (1974) as an arch villain. He earned cult status for the Aussie film Last Wave, The (1977).
Enormously private, Richard moved to Hawaii quite some time ago and has only recently (at age 69) "come out" with a tell-all biography entitled "Shattered Love" in which he candidly discusses the anguish of hiding his homosexuality during his long career.
