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Richard Chamberlain Has Been Married For Twenty Years (To a Guy)
TV Guide ^ | 5-30-03 | Mary Murphy

Posted on 05/30/2003 7:58:18 PM PDT by dogbyte12

Richard Chamberlain sure knows how to keep a secret. He's a master at it. In the public eye for over 40 years, he has been defined almost entirely by his roles. On screen he was this devastatingly handsome heartthrob, the star of Dr. Kildare and the dreamy king of such exotic miniseries as Shogun and The Thorn Birds. Yet Chamberlain remained a distant figure whose private life was always off-limits. Until now.

In an interview with TV Guide, Chamberlain admits that he's gay and that almost 20 years ago he wed another man, Martin Rabbett, who is now his manager. They met in 1975 when Chamberlain, then 41, was starring in the Tennessee Williams play The Night of the Iguana. Rabbett was a production assistant 19 years his junior. On the eve of the publication of Shattered Love: A Memoir (ReganBooks), Chamberlain, now 69, talks about his fear that knowledge of his sexual orientation would ruin his career. It is the first time a romantic leading man of his stature has ever outed himself. But in doing so, Chamberlain says he is finally at peace.

When you were on Dr. Kildare, you were a romantic hero — and hiding the fact that you were gay. Were you afraid people would find out?
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.

Were you ever able to talk to your parents about it? Never once. Not in my whole life.

Anybody in Hollywood?
No. But it was assumed that I was gay. I remember going to see a comedian who worked on our show — maybe he didn't know I was there — and he made a joke about "Dr. Kildare, that blond faygeleh." Whoa. Was I shocked.

After Kildare went off the air, you went into a funk.
I realized I was just another out-of-work actor. So [the musical] Breakfast at Tiffany's came along. I had a great time until we were on Broadway. The audience just hated it. I had a line, "Oh, I'll never sing again." And voices came back, "Good. You can't sing, anyway." And then people would go up the aisles and leave the theater.

Luckily, you found the miniseries. Tell me about Shogun.
The network wanted me, but James Clavell [the author of the novel] didn't. He wanted Sean Connery. So I started taking voice lessons to get a lower tone and I put six T-shirts under my shirt because I wanted to look bulkier [for the first meeting with Clavell]. It was so hot I was sweating like a pig. But I got on with April, Clavell's wife, and Clavell relented and gave me the part.

In your book, you say the character you identify with a great deal is Father Ralph, the priest in The Thorn Birds.
My public image, my private life and then my spiritual concerns made me realize that we had something in common.

In fact, it was after a spiritual retreat that you met Martin.
The minute I saw him, I thought, "There is someone special." But it wasn't until Night of the Iguana played [on Broadway] that we got into a love relationship.

How many years have you been together?
Twenty-six. I can't imagine how Martin had the guts to live with me because my career was everything. There was no one I would have thrown my career over for. And he knew it.

What are you up to now?
I am doing a play this summer, The Stillborn Lover, which Martin is directing at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.

Can you sum up your career?
I had looks, talent, ambition. And yet I was afraid of relying on myself — Marlon Brando could rely on himself. I didn't want to be seen as even remotely gay. Remember, I grew up in the '30s, '40s and '50s, when being effeminate was verboten. I ingested all of this. I was as homophobic as anyone else.

When did you get over it?
I've only dropped the last vestiges of that, like, three months ago. And I'm practically stepping into my grave.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: downourthroats; gaytrolldolls; hollyweird; homosexualagenda; homosexualsodomy; mediabias; pc; politicallycorrect; sodomite; thereisnogaymarriage
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To: leadhead
The guy was true to his craft and didn't rub our noses in his personnal life.

You know something Lead,... Chamberlain, Hudson, Liberace etc., had the grace and decency to be actors/entertainers first, and kept their personal lifes for themselves.
My hat is off to Mr.Chamberlain, Hudson etc., who just showed a true professionalism, in seperating the profession from the personal life, and along the way to keep it for themselves against all odds.

This is really something to behold, since is so seldom shown, now a days, with the Hollywood crowd.

61 posted on 05/30/2003 9:25:12 PM PDT by danmar ("It is extremely hard to soar like an Eagle, when you are surrounded by Turkey's")
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To: RLK
They were personalities who played versions of themselves in movies.

Very true. The "greats" are great at being themselves in a character. The only actor that could be both himself and get lost in character, IMHO, was the late, great, James Cagney.

62 posted on 05/30/2003 9:27:25 PM PDT by elbucko (Floggings will continue until morale improves.)
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To: dogbyte12
Any children? Which be de mommy????
63 posted on 05/30/2003 9:29:01 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (The best thing about the present Hollywood life style, is that there will be no more dynasties.)
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To: patton
Yes, and no, and it was a pheasant. When his man servant removed the rotting bird, that Blackthorne had hung up to cure, in English fashion, he had violated Blackthorne's command as a Samurai, and was automatically executed. Blackthorne was outraged that it was done without his permission, since he had meant the command as a joke.

It just proved that the Japanese are real low in the humor department, like democrats.

64 posted on 05/30/2003 9:29:34 PM PDT by jonascord (Let us cross over the river, and rest in the shade of the trees...)
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To: longtermmemmory
KUrt Cobain claimed that EVERYONE is gay...................
65 posted on 05/30/2003 9:30:49 PM PDT by SkipLethal
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To: dogbyte12
Thanks for posting. LOLROF
66 posted on 05/30/2003 9:31:28 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: Exit148
Hello, Exit 148!

Yes, you are right, the love story in the Thorn Birds was incredible. Richard Chamberlain truly made the part come alive, and Rachel Ward as Meggie was excellent. They had such a connection. The double-whammy of forbidden love and unrequited love....what a combination. And, every woman I knew at the time that it was shown on TV fell in love with Richard Chamberlain.

I was really quite young during the Kildare series, but I do remember all the commotion over this hearthrob, Dr. Kildare (and Ben Casey, too). I think I remember the theme song began with something like, "Two stars will shine tonight..." I could be wrong.

Chamberlain's pictures were in every fan magazine at that time, too. He was always professional and kept his private life private. I am looking forward to reading his book.

I, too, am sorry that he had to go through all of the angst that he apparantly did. But, I am somewhat disheartened at the actual reality of his "persuasion"....he is such a dreamboat in so may ways that are appealing to women.
67 posted on 05/30/2003 9:34:29 PM PDT by Swede Girl
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp
You're kidding, right? If not, Shep is the most recognized Fox News personality after Bill O'Reilly.
68 posted on 05/30/2003 9:35:36 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Plus de fromage, s'il vous plait...)
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To: dogbyte12
Another faggot in California . I'm just tripping all over myself . No shit .
69 posted on 05/30/2003 9:37:09 PM PDT by Ben Bolt
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To: DLfromthedesert
Liberace can't be gay. All the women loved him.
70 posted on 05/30/2003 9:43:28 PM PDT by Hillary's Lovely Legs (Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death)
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To: elbucko
Tag line: "Floggings will continue until morale improves."

Or until the volunteer flogees, become more than our limited number of floggers can accomodate.
71 posted on 05/30/2003 9:44:37 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (LOL, I first thought that read," Until morals improve"honest injun.)
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To: wingnuts'nbolts
There were no legal homosexual marriages 20 years ago (and only Vermont recognizes them for now).

Don't know what they did, but they did not get married.

72 posted on 05/30/2003 9:47:28 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS: CNN let human beings be tortured and killed to keep their Baghdad bureau open)
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To: Radioactive
He didn't "wed" anyone. He went through a sick imitation of marriage, just like he and his "spouse" do a sick imitation of intercourse.
73 posted on 05/30/2003 9:48:54 PM PDT by lady lawyer
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To: weegee
Two women down the street from us got married to each other by their minister in California. You can call it what you want, they call it being married.
74 posted on 05/30/2003 9:54:50 PM PDT by breakem
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To: bethelgrad
Shemp was gay???

Now I see how these rumors get started...

75 posted on 05/30/2003 9:56:44 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS: CNN let human beings be tortured and killed to keep their Baghdad bureau open)
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To: cincinnati65
"Ummm, paging Mr. Hudson, Rock Hudson?"

I know a very rude joke about Rock Hudson that I can't post here as I will get in trouble for posting it.

76 posted on 05/30/2003 9:57:16 PM PDT by blackbart.223
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To: buccaneer81
Shep is the most recognized Fox News personality after Bill O'Reilly.

Also their most unwatchable, tabloid-trash twit. Who looks gay as hell.

77 posted on 05/30/2003 10:00:15 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Dick Gephardt. Before he dicks you.)
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To: breakem
Not in the eyes of the law or the Lord.

They make a public vow to one another and that's it.

78 posted on 05/30/2003 10:00:40 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS: CNN let human beings be tortured and killed to keep their Baghdad bureau open)
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To: SkipLethal
I wouldn't believe anything he said, he lost his head.
79 posted on 05/30/2003 10:02:20 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS: CNN let human beings be tortured and killed to keep their Baghdad bureau open)
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To: weegee
Depends on which god you worship. Ain't it a wonderful world.
80 posted on 05/30/2003 10:03:13 PM PDT by breakem
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