Italian
The actor passed away during the night between Saturday and Sunday, in Waimanalo, Hawaii
Richard Chamberlain would have turned 91 years old today. He was born on March 31, 1934 in Los Angeles, California. He passed away from a stroke, during the night between Saturday and Sunday, at his home in Hawaii, leaving behind his partner Martin Rabbett, to whom he had been linked since 1977.
Father Ralph
Renowned for his role as the tormented father Ralph in Thorn Birds and as the protagonist of Dr. Kildare, he has long been considered a sex symbol, a seducer greatly loved by women all over the world.
The original “The Thorn Birds” based on Colleen McCullough’s bestseller, became in Italy the famous TV series, in clerical attire, which in ’83 on Canale 5 glued 13 million viewers to the TV, attracted by the torments of soul and flesh of the priest, Father Ralph. In the end, he will choose the careerist flatteries of the Vatican.
A successful career, honored by the Golden Globe awards. Spanning between the USA and England, it began with two degrees from Californian campuses, followed by service in the Korean War, interspersed with pop singing and a lot of theater. And of course, the unavoidable Shakespeare.
Private life
His coming out about his homosexuality came late, at the age of 68, even though he had been in a relationship with Martin Rabbett since 1977. He apologized for it, stating that revealing it earlier would have been counterproductive.
Martin Rabbett, a producer and director who Chamberlain was linked to from 1977 to 2010, living together for many years in Hawaii, has announced his passing: “He is free and soaring with our loved ones who have gone before us. How lucky we were to have known such an extraordinary and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.”
