Last week saw the passing of actor Richard Chamberlain at the age of 90 years old. Chamberlain starred in such films as “The Towering Inferno,” “The Three Musketeers”, “Jason Bourne”, and “King Solomon’s Mines”. He made it big as Dr. Kildare in 1961 on television, and quickly became a household name thereafter.
Chamberlain stands unique in Hollywood as the only #10 BCAR actor we’ve yet come across. He originally wanted to be a painter at a young age, but started taking part in drama school because of his desire to simply be with people. Even near the height of his career, when starring in musicals, he was subject to his reticent, BCAR design. “I had a nice voice, a pleasant voice,” he once said. “But I didn’t have a singer’s personality. There is a kind of an energy that goes into singing. The more totally yourself you can be, the better. There is no place to hide when you’re singing, and I was rather shy and inhibited in so many ways.”
Chamberlain was a true Back brainer, but also attributed much of his inhibition to fear as a child. In his own words, “…fear of inner poverty, unworthiness, inadequacy of not fitting in at all. My most frightening nemesis was none other than me.” His harsh, alcoholic father also didn’t help matters. “When he was drunk, he’d stagger recklessly around the house or slump in his big living room chair, emitting angry vibes that seemed to me like a radiance of pure evil. It was like living with the devil. And he could quell anything remotely like fun and frolic with his famously lethal sneer.” Later Richard would carry this bitterness into his acting career. “I projected these feelings onto every producer or director and casting agent I met. I unfairly turned these unsuspecting guys into my father, subconsciously fearing condescending judgments and suppressive sneers, certain that I could never measure up to their expectations.” Lastly, Richard also had an older brother who “shone with good health and good looks and a penchant for reckless, good fun. His shy little brother didn’t hold a lot of promise.”
Of course, Richard Chamberlain was widely known for being homosexual, and received flak from the entertainment world several years ago when he advised other leading men to keep their orientation under wraps. This advice came as no surprise to veteran Brain Type enthusiasts who know that #10s are typically shy, sensitive individuals, avoiding controversy and preferring to keep matters to themselves (ala Michael Jackson, another #10).
And finally, in light of Michael Jackson, who often reminisced over his lost childhood, Chamberlain also was frequent to reflect over his younger years, particularly on one occasion when he stumbled upon an old photograph of himself as a child. To conclude, in his own words, “I came across the resulting sunny photo of myself as a rather lost little blond boy in short pants looking for clover leaves in the grass. As I gazed at this distant image, I immediately felt I could love this kid with all my heart. How I would love to take him in my arms and spend time with him, getting to know who he was, whatever his problems and quirks.”
Written by: Staff
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