Richard Chamberlain, the famous priest from 'The Thorn Bird', dies

BarcelonaFew people like him have become international stars solely thanks to television during the second half of the 20th century. American actor Richard Chamberlain, who played Father Ralph de Bricassart in the famous 1980s series The thorn bird, has died at the age of 90. The actor died on Saturday in Hawaii, where he had settled in the 1980s.

Born in Beverly Hills, he debuted in supporting roles in television, film and Broadway. Chamberlain soon put his appeal to the service of Dr. Kildare, a series with the Italian Daniela Bianchi that aired from 1961 to 1965 and was his first big success: he won the Golden Globe for best actor in 1961. At that time he also tried to make a career as a singer, he released some albums of ballads and soundtracks, but, although, in the final stage of his career, in musicals such as My Fair Lady and other classics like Smiles and tears, Scrooge and Spamalot.

He became the king of miniseries in the 70s, in productions such as Hamlet (a role he had already played in the theatre during his time in England, where he dedicated himself especially to the stage), Centennial and Shogun (which earned him an Emmy nomination). Finally, in 1983, the apotheosis of The thorn bird, a romantic series with soap opera twists about a priest tortured in love with a girl twenty years younger than him, torn between his duty as a priest, his professional ambition, and his passion for the young woman. The miniseries was a huge ratings success, becoming the most-watched in history at the time, behindRoots.

In the cinema he had supporting roles in notable films, such as The Three Musketeers by Richard Lester and The Burning Colossus. He starred in The Count of Monte Cristo, and appeared in The Man in the Iron Mask, King Solomon's Mines and The Last Wave by Peter Weir. However, it was on television where he had the opportunity to play roles from Edward VIII of England to F. Scott Fitzgerald. He appeared on television, with occasional roles, until he was almost 80.

His intimacy also made headlines because, after captivating the hearts of so many women through fiction, in 1989 a celebrity magazine revealed that he was homosexual. He didn't come out publicly until 2003, with his memoirs, Shattered Love, in which he revealed his complicated childhood, marked by an alcoholic father. "The best part is that I don't need to be a heartthrob anymore, so I don't have to give that impression anymore," he celebrated. He was in a relationship with director and producer Martin Rabbet for over thirty years.