Richard Chamberlain, who captivated millions of hearts as a devastatingly attractive heartthrob during his heyday, concealed a dark secret. Chamberlain, who was well-known for his roles in exotic miniseries such as The Thorn Birds and Shogun, made a point of concealing his sexual orientation.
A glimpse into his previous relationship and his motivation for concealing his sexuality makes for an engrossing read.
Gay Actor’s Failed Relationship With Partner
Between 1975 and 1976, Richard was thought to be romantically engaged with American actor Wesley Eure. However, the pair quickly convinced themselves to take distinct courses in life.
Richard then married his longtime partner Martin Rabbett in 1984, on the set of Dr. Kildare. Martin is nineteen years Richard’s junior and was once Richard’s manager.
The pair lived in a Hawaiian dream home together. However, the couple separated after around thirty-three years when Richard relocated to Los Angeles. In his statement, a source close to the pair exposed their relationship to the newspaper.
“Martin served as Richard’s manager for years, but getting older and being out in Hawaii for so long, he really didn’t have the connections to make a big push for Richard.”
Richard has decided to keep a low-key private life following his split from longtime boyfriend Martin.
Justification for keeping his sexuality a secret
Richard, who participated in various films and television series seducing numerous women, kept his sexuality a secret for an extended period of time. Later that year, in 2003, he declared his homosexuality and indicated that he had previously been reluctant to do so.
When asked why he chose to conceal his sexuality during a 2003 interview with Freerepublic, Richard responded-
“Desperately afraid. I used to get chased by hot teenage girls. I got 12,000 fan letters a week. And all the fan magazines would ask me about my love life. And I felt somewhat besieged. But I was good at the game. I felt my career depended on a certain image.”
He was concerned that his sexual orientation might jeopardize his profession as a romantic leading man at the moment.
Later that year, in 2010, Richard disclosed the reason for concealing his homosexuality once more. He stated –
“There is still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless and it’s immoral, but there it is.”
“For an actor to be working at all is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, “Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay” – especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out.”
However, since coming out publicly in 2003, Richard has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community’s rights.
Career Highlights and Net Worth; Addresses Death Rumors 2022/2023
Richard Chamberlain, 84, has already established a name for himself in the film industry. He has a long list of cinematic credits dating all the way back to 1958.
Among Richard’s notable performances are those in Dr. Kildare (1961–1966), Shgun (1980), The Thorn Birds (1983), The Lady Is Not For Burning (1974), The Count of Monte Cristo (1975), The Last Wave (1977), Centennial (1978–1979), and The Bourne Identity (1988).
Previously, certain reports about Richard’s demise circulated. However, such rumors died down after everyone learned the reality.
Despite his advanced age, the actor is still going strong, as evidenced by his 2018 cameo in the American horror anthology film Nightmare Cinema, when he played Dr. Mirari to perfection. In 2017, he also had an appearance in the American horror series Twin Peaks.
He has effectively built a net worth of $20 million via his hard effort in harnessing his career. Previously, certain reports about Richard’s demise circulated. However, such rumors died down after everyone learned the reality.
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