In my younger years, I was an avid reader and an avid TV watcher, so miniseries based on my favorite books were my jam. Millennials who think they've invented something new with binge-watching an entire series will never understand the anticipation of an unfolding drama that left you spellbound for an entire week until the next installment. There was something special about those productions and that time that our instant gratification-"Netflix and Chill" generations will never understand. 

And the "King of the Miniseries" was Richard Chamberlain, the lanky, handsome, and well-mannered actor who brought to life Pilot-Major John Blackthorne/Anjin-san in the 1980's miniseries "Shogun," and Ralph de Bricassart in 1983's "The Thorn Birds." This was "Must-See TV" before Must-See TV was a thing. 

And who knew that Richard Chamberlain was the first actor to portray Robert Ludlum's "Jason Bourne" on screen? As both an avid reader of espionage/suspense and a Richard Chamberlain fan, I was not sure how I could have missed that one.

There was also a 1988 ABC miniseries version of “The Bourne Identity” in which Chamberlain played Jason Bourne.

Even after the popularity of the miniseries waned, and the parts for Chamberlain went from leading man to smaller roles, he still quietly pursued his craft on both the small and large screen, on the stage, and in musical vignettes. With over 109 film credits alone, he was a prolific talent who simply enjoyed the art of the performance and took every opportunity to do so.

Chamberlain made his final curtain call on Saturday. According to his publicist, Harlan Boll, Chamberlain died from complications following a stroke in Waimanalo, Hawai’i, just shy of his 91st birthday on Monday. 

ICYMI: Actor Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series "Dr. Kildare" who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries," has died. He was 90. MORE: https://t.co/9OzjUEluKR pic.twitter.com/iq7w9gwk6L

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) March 31, 2025

Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series "Dr. Kildare" who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries," has died. He was 90.

Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.

Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65.

I loved "Dr. Kildare" reruns, as well as Chamberlain's other roles in "The Towering Inferno" (1974) and "Centennial" (1978). Kildare may have put Chamberlain on Hollywood's stardom map, but he had been refining and honing his acting skills since he'd left the military.

Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting.

He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film "The Secret of the Purple Reef," he won the Dr. Kildare role.

While "Dr. Kildare," "Shogun," and "The Thorn Birds" are Chamberlain's most memorable and Golden Globe-awarded roles, he was also an accomplished vocalist and had a prolific stage career, which he pursued in between television and films.

Chamberlain also worked frequently onstage, returning to Broadway for a 1987 revival of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit”; toured in “My Fair Lady” as Henry Higgins and landed on Broadway with that 1993 revival; and was a substitute as Captain Von Trapp in a Rialto revival of “The Sound of Music,” with the musical subsequently touring. In addition he toured in 2005 in the title role of “Scrooge: The Musical” and in 2008 and 2009 as King Arthur in “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” 

Chamberlain announced he was gay in 2003 through his autobiography, "Shattered Love." The book chronicled this journey as well as a troubled childhood with an alcoholic father. Chamberlain moved to Hawaii in the 1980s, and save for traveling to the mainland for roles, he lived and sometimes worked there, as well as became a prolific painter. 

In addition to his acting, singing and painting, Chamberlain championed ecological causes including lobbying in Sacramento, California, and Washington, D.C., to save the Tuolumne River, which originates in Yosemite National Park in California. His efforts helped put the river under the protection of the U.S.’s National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

But aside from this more visible philanthropy was a quieter one that deserves recognition. Chamberlain used his acting gift to help make a chronically ill young filmmaker's dreams come true. My dear friend and fellow USC alum Theresa Danna related a story to me about how she was able to meet Chamberlain at a 2017 film premiere, where the above photo was taken.

There’s an interesting story behind it. The screening was for a short film. It was written by a teenager dying from cancer as part of Make a Film, sort of like the Make a Wish foundation. They let him pick his dream cast, and all these stars volunteered, including Richard Chamberlain and Johnny Depp (Depp wasn’t at the screening). It was bittersweet, because the teen filmmaker had died by the time it screened.

Theresa is a bit older than me and a Boomer, but just like Gen X girls, she also grew to love Chamberlain in his roles in "Shogun" and "Thorn Birds." So, adult Theresa was not going to pass up the opportunity to get a photograph with him. Theresa said Chamberlain was incredibly gracious in posing for the photo. What a great memory.  

That teenager's short film made it into the annals of IMDB. "The Black Ghiandola" is a post-apocalyptic zombie story about an orphaned young man who risks his life to save the girl he loves. The film was the brainchild of 16-year-old Anthony Jonathan Conti, who had been diagnosed in the summer of 2016 with Stage 4 adrenocorticol carcinoma. The Make A Film Foundation partnered with him to make his dream a reality. Founded in 2007 to help children with serious or life-threatening medical issues create short films, the foundation teams the children with entertainment industry professionals who all volunteer their time. Young Conti co-wrote the film with Scott Kosar, screenwriter of one of my favorites, "The Machinist," and 2003's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Wash Westmoreland ("Still Alice") put in some additional writing. The actors who volunteered their time were none other than Johnny Depp, J.K. Simmons, Laura Dern, Penelope Ann Miller, Chad Coleman, and, of course, Richard Chamberlain. Some other A-list names joined in on the fun, including the late director David Lynch, "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, "Hidden Figures" producer Theodore Melfi, directors Sam Raimi and Peter Farrelly, and producer Sean Furst. They wrapped filming in November 2016, and "The Black Ghiandola" premiered on April 22, 2017. Sadly, Anthony Jonathan Conti succumbed to his cancer at the end of January 2017. 

So, along with his decades-long legacy of film, television, and stage work, Richard Chamberlain was pivotal in fulfilling a young man's wish to leave his mark on the film industry. Chamberlain appears to have been a class act on the screen as well as off. 

May Conti and Chamberlain rest in peace. Here's "The Black Ghiandola" for your viewing pleasure.