Screen Idol Richard Chamberlain Kept His Truth Private for Decades — And Said He’d Do It Again

TV heartthrob Richard Chamberlain hid his gay identity for decades to achieve the heights of superstardom — and admitted he’d do it again. Chamberlain, who died March 29 at the age of 90, came out in his 2003 memoir Shattered Love. But he counseled other gay actors to stay in the closet.

“Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out,” Richard said in 2010.

Although some criticized his comments, saying they reflected an old-school mentality, the Towering Inferno star said he was just being practical.

“For an actor to be working is kind of a miracle, because most actors aren’t,” he explained.

“So it’s just silly for a working actor to say — ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay,’ especially if they’re a leading man.”

In fact, the Dr. Kildare alum waited until he was nearly 70 — his screen hunk days behind him — before coming out.

“I’m not a romantic leading man anymore, so I don’t need to nurture that public image anymore,” he continued.

In his later years, Chamberlain switched from playing straight hunks like the dashing 17th-century adventurer in 1980’s Shogun and the lustful young priest in 1983’s The Thorn Birds to portraying gay characters as a guest star on Will & Grace, Nip/Tuck, Brothers & Sisters and Leverage.

But he believed the publicity over his sex life crippled his career.

“There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable and it’s stupid, it’s heartless and it’s immoral, but there it is,” Richard said.