Old Hollywood Stars Who Were Forced to Live a Double Life

Richard Chamberlain became television’s favorite young doctor in Dr. Kildare before leading major miniseries such as Shogun and The Thorn Birds. His career depended heavily on romantic roles, so he believed revealing that he was gay could cost him the audience Hollywood had built.

For decades, Chamberlain kept relationships with men out of public view and allowed fans to see him as a heterosexual heartthrob. He finally came out in his 2003 memoir, explaining that fear of career damage had kept him hidden through most of his greatest success.