| Rachel Campos: Women like Meredith Vieira
drooled over him as the sexy Dr. Kildare, and I drooled over him when he
was a Catholic priest with a devilish lust for a married woman in ‘The
Thorn Birds’. These days he’s not only raising seven devilish children
as the stern Captain Von Trapp in Broadway’s ‘The Sound of Music’, but
he’s still making hearts beat everywhere. Now, Capt. Von Trapp always used
a whistle to call his children, so let’s see if this works on him. (Blows
brass whistle around her neck)
Ha, Ha, ha…please welcome
[Richard dances out from behind the stage] Richard: I’m so happy to be here…so happy! (Walks over to greet each hostess with a kiss then turns to audience) Thank you! Meredith: Ricardo!
Richard: It’s so good to be here. I’ve watched you guys a lot. Rachel: I know we have to ask you about ‘The Sound of Music’, but I have to tell you, you were the sexiest monsignor I’ve ever seen. Richard: Yeah, that was fun. Rachel Ward was the best to work with too—she was gorgeous.
Joy: You’re talking about The Thorn Birds. Richard: The Thorn Birds, yeah. Joy: Which is what was interesting to me, when I read the research that, that was about a Catholic priest who had an affair with a woman, et cetera, and the Catholic Church did not get wild about that. Richard: Well, there was a little bit of controversy, but it didn’t cause seismic shifts in the earth. Star Jones: That’s cause you were hot-looking and every other woman in the diocese wanted to get with you…okay…that’s why! Richard: Well, he was basically a good guy. He really loved her. It wasn’t lust; he really loved her. And if he hadn’t been a priest they would have been the Great Couple of all time, I think. Meredith: Well, my grandfather was a priest who fell in love with a woman and left the priesthood. Richard: Really?
Meredith: Yeah, so it does happen. Richard: A technical advisor on the show also ended up marrying. He was a Jesuit. A very, very attractive guy. Joy: Apparently, this is an epidemic. Rachel: Richard, you had only three weeks to rehearse for the Sound of Music, is that correct? Richard: Yes. Rachel: What was the most difficult part about that? Richard: It was tough. The whole situation was tough. I’ve never entered a show that was already going before. And everybody else, including the kids knows everything, y’know, they’re all right up to par. And, you’re trying to remember your lines, and where to go and all that. So it was a tough rehearsal period, but, the hardest part was the guitar. I’m still struggling with the guitar. I had never tried to play guitar before so… Rachel: You had to learn in three weeks!
Richard: Yes, yes! Star: Wow. A lot of people don’t know this, but you not only played Dr. Kildare, but sang the theme song. Richard: Yeah, I made some records during that time. Star: …And made some records…and we have borrowed a record…(Record album is shown, “Richard Chamberlain Sings”)
Richard: Oh my god! Star: ….from one of your biggest fans…and she brought this in so that we could get a chance to see the hot Dr. Kildare back in the day. Top ten kinda record, too, huh? Richard: Well, it did very well, yeah, but…. Star: Did ya always like to sing? Richard: Singing’s always been a little frightening for me. But I’ve studied practically my whole career. Mainly to keep my speaking voice in shape. But to get up in front of people and sing is still kinda scary for me. Every night it’s a little bit scary in the show. But it’s going pretty well.
Meredith: I heard it’s going great. Rachel made this joke in the beginning about me—how I always had the hots for you, but…I first discovered I was a woman while watching you in Dr. Kildare as a little kid. They made me do this, but this is true…(pulls out a Dr. Kildare pillow, shows to camera and audience and kisses the image)…I used to do this and practice kissing… Richard: Now you’ve got the real thing!
[Points to his lips, moves close to Meredith and gives her a nice kiss. She slides out of her chair to the floor, fans herself. Richard falls back on the sofa. Both sigh.] Richard: Ohhh…..Alright! Alright….I’m so happy! Meredith: When you fell for Yvette Mimieux…remember that ‘Tiger’ thing? I was so upset, but then she died—I was so glad. She died, didn’t she? In the end? Richard: Yes. She’s the only actress in the world who can have an epileptic fit on a surfboard and be lovely. Meredith: And there was two episodes. You were going to marry her, then, didn’t she walk out into the ocean and die? Richard: No, no. She was surfing and, I think, had a fit and then drowned. And then I rescued her; I carried her out. The beach…it was wintertime and the water was freezing. And because it was winter, the sand had all disappeared and it was all rocky. So I had to wear these funny shoes carrying her out of the water. I had to wear shoes because it was so painful on the feet. Joy: You know, you seem to be on the beach quite a bit. Father Ralph was on the beach, this was on the beach, and now you live on the beach, don’t you? Richard: Now I live on the beach.
Joy: Where? In Hawaii? Richard: In Hawaii, yes. Joy: And you consider yourself a beach bum. You’re an actor, aren’t you? Richard: Well, I’m a beach bum who paints and occasionally acts. It’s a great life. Yes. It’s really wonderful. Meredith: But you won’t sell your paintings, I heard—your originals. Richard: Well, they’re for sale, but they’re very expensive. Because I don’t really want to let go of them. They were my first little babies and, uh, but…Yeah, if you fork over the dough you can have one! Joy: See, it all comes down to that, after all the necking you did with Meredith… Star: Exactly. You still gotta pay for it, baby! Richard(to Meredith): You get a discount! Meredith: Oh, Thanks! Star: Well, we wish you the best. Richard: Thank you. Thank you. Joy: Well, thanks for coming. Thanks
to Richard Chamberlain. He’s in The Sound of Music at the Martin Beck Theatre
in New York City.
[Richard leads the group in the singing of Edelweiss] |
