For many generations, including X, it is difficult to follow the success of Shogun without remembering the original version with Richard Chamberlain. In the 1980s version, the American actor was the protagonist, not the Japanese Toshiro Mifune. It made sense, Chamberlain was one of TV’s biggest stars for many decades, internationally recognized for a series of iconic roles and John Blackthorne was another one of them. On March 31, 2024, Richard Chamberlain turned 90 years old and it has never been more relevant to remember his impressive career.

The TV space was occupied by him for decades

Born and raised in Beverly Hills, Richard Chamberlain wanted to be an actor from an early age, which makes even more sense as he is already in the capital of cinema, as before, as a young man, he fought in the Korean War (where he rose to the rank of sergeant) and only Then he started acting for real.

With an undeniable beauty, he quickly caught the attention of producers who were looking for a new face to play the titular role in the series Dr. Kildare, a role created in the 1930s and super popular in the United States. Without much experience yet, the actor was seen in a western that never made it to theaters and realized he had potential. They hit the nail on the head. In fact, they actually underestimated the success he would have.

Within five years, Richard Chamberlain became so famous that he couldn’t go out without being chased by a horde of fans, with more than 10 thousand letters a week, surpassing movie stars of the time. One of the first pop stars was also born because as a singer, he released a single, Close to You (later a classic by The Carpenters) and starred in TV adaptations of great Broadway musicals. Despite being one of the biggest stars in the world, Chamberlain had dreams of going to the theater, but ended up going to the cinema first, creating the role of Aramis in The Three Musketeers, in 1973, alongside Faye Dunaway and directed by Richard Lester, and part of the stellar cast of The Towering Inferno, in 1974, alongside Paul Newman and Steve McQueen.

Although known, it was as John Blackthorne, in the 1980 version of Shogun, that Richard Chamberlain became even more famous throughout the world. The version, today criticized for various cultural problems, but it was one of the works he most enjoyed doing, being a fan of the book and for that very reason, a project he really wanted to do, but had to undergo tests to convince him that it was the right man because he knew how to do action scenes well and also add greater complexity to the role. It would be thesis, the paper to “end” his career. But more would come.

From the East to Australia: a samurai and a priest

Richard Chamberlain had already starred in a well-received adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo when the novel Thorn Birds, an epic and tragic novel, led book sales and became of interest to the major studios in Hollywood.

Once again, Richard Chamberlain was the second choice. The initial idea was to make a film, to be starred by Christopher Reeve and directed by Herbert Ross, then Peter Weir and Robert Redford and then with Arthur Hiller and Ryan O’Neal, but it would be virtually impossible to summarize the saga of Father Ralph de Bricassart, who arrives at Bispo but experiences a forbidden love for Maggie, in just a few hours. When they came to the conclusion that it would be better in a miniseries format, no screen star wanted to take the risk. In other words, coming out of the fever that was Shogun, Richard Chamberlain changed it with another television phenomenon. The public (male and female) went crazy with him. In the United States alone, Thorn Birds had an audience of 110 million viewers.

A personal secret that was only confirmed 20 years ago

In times of prejudice and persecution, even with rumors, Richard Chamberlain fought to maintain his performance as a heterosexual protagonist, avoiding being questioned about his personal life, only admitting in 2003, at the age of 69, that he is homosexual. He did this in his autobiography, Shattered Love, where he also revealed a childhood marked by abuse from his alcoholic father and the panic of coming out of the closet.

Until the early 1990s, Chamberlain was active, and he said goodbye to TV in 1988 in the miniseries The Bourne Identity.

The official stop was only in 2019, at the age of 85, after participating in Five Brothers, Chuck, Nip/Tuck and Twin Peaks. As a retiree, and with no secrets, he lives in Hawaii. The new Shogun awakens new interest in the star, who is, without exaggeration, a legend. He deserves every success.

Pesquisar

Pesquisar