I’d grown up in the 30s, 40s, and 50s when being gay was not an option. It simply was not an option. 60s heartthrob Richard Chamberlain spent the early part of his career being hailed as the king of the miniseries. With a career spanning decades and features in some of the most iconic productions, it’s no doubt that he is one of the most well-known and versatile actors in Hollywood.
As exciting as life in Hollywood sounds, icons like Richard have shown that being a star means all your laundry is usually spread out in the open. Richard was able to keep a personal secret for a very long time, but at 90, he’s finally ready to admit what we all suspected. So take a seat as we spill all the juicy secrets in the life of a certified legend.
Childhood and career: George Richard Chamberlain was born on March 31st, 1934, to Elsa W. and Chuck Chamberlain in Los Angeles. Unlike several celebs who had to climb their way to fame to live a comfortable and wealthy life, Richard was born into a rather comfortable family. By comfortable, we’re talking the Beverly Hills kind. The family resided in a single-story house in Beverly Hills, along with his older brother Bill, who was older than him by 7 years.
As picture-perfect as their family seemed on the outside, Richard’s father was actually a well-known early Alcoholics Anonymous member who had spent years traveling to speak at the group’s conventions worldwide. For those who have no clue, Alcoholics Anonymous is a gathering of men and women who fellowship together to share their experiences and struggles with alcoholism, with the hope that they might find solutions to their problems and also help others along the way.
Back to Richard, possibly inspired by works of the likes of Picasso, his initial aspiration was to become an artist. But when he scored success in drama productions at Pomona College, he didn’t hesitate to make the move to acting. It’s safe to say Richard has spent a huge chunk of his life as an actor. When he was a senior at Pomona, he very luckily got the role of Captain Bluntschli in George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. Embodying the character, Richard left everyone enraptured and emotional with how well he was able to convey the story through his performance.
Following this, he once again became convinced that he had to change his career path for another. This time around, it was to join the military. Turned out, Richard had been so moved by his portrayal of the captain that he felt it was his actual calling in real life. So, following his college graduation with a bachelor’s in arts, Richard enlisted in the US Army, served for 16 months in Korea, and eventually rose to the rank of Sergeant.
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