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Richard Chamberlain talks about being gay
Richard Chamberlain is one of the stars of the new film The Perfect Family.
The actor best known for his TV roles on Dr. Kildare, The Thorn Birds and Shogun, was closeted for most of his career but came out publicly 10 years ago.
“The general public didn’t know I was gay,” he tells Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald. “People in the business did. Apart from a little gossip, they didn’t talk about it. It was great. They let us have our lives.”
Chamberlain spent much of his career being “discreet and careful.”
“You get used to it. My self esteem was shaky all my life,” he says. “To be gay in a time, the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s when it was absolutely not an option [to be out], one gets used to this feeling a certain way — worthless. That feeling sticks.”
At age 68 — “realizing it was nonsense” — Chamberlain announced he’s gay.
“It’s as if, for instance, you were used to some kind of chronic pain. You just get used to it and you don’t think about it anymore. When it goes away, when the pain ceases, my God it’s a f—ing miracle. It’s just wonderful. … I was living a very nice life. Had a wonderful relationship, but I had a nagging sense that something was wrong with me. Even late in life. Then it just vanished.”
To read more of Chamberlain’s story, click HERE.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Stan says:
So true. When I came out at the age of 30 my life became GREAT and it is a miracle. A year after I came out I found the love of my life. We just celebrated 14 years together.
Lionhart says:
When I was a kid, I had a fantasy about getting some horrible unidentified tropical disease and Dr. Kildare would whisk me away to Hawaii to find a cure. He never did find a cure, but we did stay there forever. Hey, I was a kid just starting to feel my oats. It’s too bad that, because of the times back then, he had to stay closeted. He could have been a super role model for young adults. Anyway, he was way hot back then and still hot today. And I am older too. So, Mr. Chamberlain, if you still want to go to Hawaii and examine my body for that make-believe horrible disease I still have, contact Greg Hernandez for my email. I feel really faint, so please hurry…
(Stan: Congratulations to your & your partner. I was lucky to have mine for 28 years. Many more to you.)