The former Dr. Kildare and The Thorn Birds star RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, who admitted his sexuality in an autobiography, now tells other actors intent on coming out to stay put!
“It’s complicated. There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is,” Chamberlain, 76, told The Advocate.
“For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay’ – especially if you’re a leading man.”
Chamberlain who’s done everything from the med series Dr. Kildare to an HIV lover on Bothers and Sisters to a swashbuckler in The Three Musketeers to Tchaikovsky in The Music Lovers would think twice about coming out now as he famously did in his 2003 memoirs.
“Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out.
“Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture, ” he said.
“Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.”
