Richard Chamberlain, the award-winning actor who played TV's "Dr. Kildare" and starred in popular miniseries including "The Thorn Birds" and "ShÅgun," has died at 90.
Harlan Boll, Chamberlain's representative, confirmed to USA TODAY on Sunday that the actor died Saturday from complications following a stroke. He would have celebrated his 91st birthday on Monday.
Born in Los Angeles in 1934, Chamberlain was a U.S Army veteran who served in Korea before he began to pursue acting, getting his start in a 1959 episode of "Alfred Hitch**************** Presents." After popping up on episodes of shows like "Gunsmoke" and "Riverboat," Chamberlain landed his breakthrough role as Dr. Kildare, a young medical intern, on the medical drama of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1961 to 1966. He won a Golden Globe Award for the role.
Chamberlain went on to star in TV movies like "The Count of Monte Cristo," for which he received an Emmy nomination. In 1980, he starred in the original "ShÅgun" miniseries as John Blackthorne, the role later played by Cosmo Jarvis in the 2024 version. He later played Ralph de Bricassart in the 1983 miniseries "The Thorn Birds," for which he won another Golden Globe.​
Before Matt Damon took on the role of Jason Bourne, Chamberlain played the character in the 1988 television film "The Bourne Identity." His memorable movie roles included "The Towering Inferno."​
Richard Chamberlain, 'Dr. Kildare' and 'ShÅgun' star, dies at 90​
Harlan Boll, Chamberlain's representative, confirmed to USA TODAY on Sunday that the actor died Saturday from complications following a stroke. He would have celebrated his 91st birthday on Monday.
Born in Los Angeles in 1934, Chamberlain was a U.S Army veteran who served in Korea before he began to pursue acting, getting his start in a 1959 episode of "Alfred Hitch**************** Presents." After popping up on episodes of shows like "Gunsmoke" and "Riverboat," Chamberlain landed his breakthrough role as Dr. Kildare, a young medical intern, on the medical drama of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1961 to 1966. He won a Golden Globe Award for the role.
Chamberlain went on to star in TV movies like "The Count of Monte Cristo," for which he received an Emmy nomination. In 1980, he starred in the original "ShÅgun" miniseries as John Blackthorne, the role later played by Cosmo Jarvis in the 2024 version. He later played Ralph de Bricassart in the 1983 miniseries "The Thorn Birds," for which he won another Golden Globe.​
Before Matt Damon took on the role of Jason Bourne, Chamberlain played the character in the 1988 television film "The Bourne Identity." His memorable movie roles included "The Towering Inferno."​
Richard Chamberlain, 'Dr. Kildare' and 'ShÅgun' star, dies at 90​
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