Richard Chamberlain Looks Back on His Celebrated TV Career, Including Working With Barbara Stanwyck in ‘The Thorn Birds’
Q&A
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He became a worldwide heartthrob 63 years ago as the star of Dr. Kildare, one of television’s first medical dramas. But it was during the heyday of the miniseries in the 1980s that Richard Chamberlain became TV royalty, earning Emmy nominations and Golden Globe Awards for two epic historical sagas as well as the title “King of the Miniseries.” In 1980’s Shogun, Chamberlain played English navigator John Blackthorne, shipwrecked in 17th-century Japan, and three years later in The Thorn Birds, he starred as hot Catholic priest Ralph de Bricassart, torn between Rachel Ward’s Meggie Cleary and his ecclesiastical vows. Three of that miniseries’ four installments remain among the Top 10 most watched TV episodes of all time. On the cusp of turning 90 on March 31, the now-retired Chamberlain spoke with TV Guide Magazine about his celebrated career.
When you look back, what are you most proud of?
Richard Chamberlain: Maybe The Thorn Birds. It had a kind of international effect on the world that was amazing. And working with Barbara Stanwyck, of course, was just brilliant, and Rachel [Ward] and all those fabulous people. But it’s an awfully hard choice.
What was it about the character of Father Ralph that made you so determined to get the role?
His destiny in this lifetime was an almost cruel one. He really loved God — I think he had a sincere calling — and he really loved Meggie, and he loved the glamour of the church. He was spiritually torn, which made him very interesting to play.
Tell us about the experience of working with Barbara Stanwyck, who won an Emmy for her role.
Astounding. When she really bares her soul about loving him and how being old doesn’t make any difference, she was beyond belief…. Then there was a scene where Ralph is soaking wet, thinks he’s alone and strips to get dry. [Stanwyck’s character, Mary Carson] is watching him, and she walks out and puts her hands on my chest. She forgot her lines, and the set was absolutely silent. Nobody could believe that she had forgotten her lines. Then she said, “It’s been so long since I’ve stood next to a naked man.” [Laughs] I was so thrilled that I actually turned on Barbara Stanwyck.
(Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Was Shogun as grueling physically and emotionally as it looks?
It was very hard but quite exciting to work with all those wonderful Japanese actors. We got weekends off. I had this Japanese girl who was my interpreter, and we used to travel all around. It was wonderful being there.
You really had to campaign to get the role of Blackthorne in Shogun. Do you think that your looks may have led people to underestimate you as an actor?
Maybe. Some wise person in Hollywood in some interview was talking about how I got all these wonderful parts in miniseries. He said, “There are better actors in town, but somehow Richard maintains the audience.” That was the nicest thing any of the old pros had ever said about me. [Laughs]
Is the Shogun remake something you would watch?
I can’t wait to see it, actually. That was one of the great experiences of my life.
Your big breakthrough, of course, was in the title role of Dr. Kildare, costarring Raymond Massey, in 1961. What do you remember most about that time?
I was aware this was the answer to all my dreams. Then the show became a huge success, and that was just mesmerizing.
You were on the cover of TV Guide Magazine six times during the five-season run of Dr. Kildare.
TV Guide was great to me. The interviews were, you know, sort of made up.…
Not like this one, of course!
Very unlike this one.
(Credit: TV Guide Magazine)
Those interviews did focus on your personal life, which would have been hard for someone who’s gay to really talk about then.
Yep, and I had to do some clever footwork. But I had some really great [female] friends, and we would appear at events and that sort of thing.
And you signed a seven-year contract with MGM?
I did. I remember meeting with my agent about what we should ask for, and he said, “Oh, there couldn’t possibly be any merchandising, so let’s not bother with that.” [Laughs] And it turned out the merchandising was huge — stethoscopes and pillow covers with my face on them — so I missed out on a small fortune…. But I was making a reasonable salary and it felt good. I could pay my rent and buy some food and a little car.
What kind of car did you buy?
A little gray foreign convertible. Then I ended up getting a Stingray, which got me in a lot of trouble because I kept getting speeding tickets. I ended up in court and the judge said, “Well, Chamberlain, obviously a fine isn’t going to slow you down. You are hereby banned from the freeways for six months.” It was a major inconvenience.
Were you hesitant about playing gay characters earlier in your career?
Yes. I had to be very guarded about all that during my career as a romantic leading man. But I was 68 when I officially came out. I wrote this book called Shattered Love and talked about being gay, and then the problem vanished.
One of your later TV roles was playing Ron Rifkin’s boyfriend on ABC‘s Brothers & Sisters.
He is an absolute genius. Every take — sometimes we’d do three or four — I’d be struggling to do the same thing over again where he’d just be doing something new and different. I loved working with him.
How is retirement treating you?
I have wonderful friends and wonderful travels. I live mostly in Hawaii now with very dear friends, and I’m a very happy guy, knock on wood.
What would you like to be remembered for?
Someone once asked me that, and I said, “That’s really none of my business.” If people want to remember some of the things I’ve done, that would be nice. But the big stuff was some time ago. I’d just like to be remembered as a reasonably nice guy with a sense of humor.
