'King of the TV miniseries' Richard Chamberlain dies at 90

Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series Dr Kildare who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries," has died. He was 90.

Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist.

Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. The actor became known as "king of the TV miniseries" in 1978 when he landed the starring role in Centennial, an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener's sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with Shogun, another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell's period piece about an American visitor to Japan.

He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, The Thorn Birds, which reportedly attracted 100 million viewers.

Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Dr Kildare.

Chamberlain also dabbled in theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of The Sound of Music.

He also appeared in numerous films, including The Music Lovers, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Towering Inferno and The Three Musketeers and its sequels, among others.

He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel.

Associated Press