Ricardo Montalbán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ricardo Montalbán
KSG
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Montalbán as Mr. Roarke in Fantasy Island (1977)
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| Born |
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino
November 25, 1920 Mexico City, Mexico
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| Died | January 14, 2009 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Nationality | Mexican, American |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1941–2008 |
| Spouse(s) |
Georgiana Belzer
(m. 1944; died 2007) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Carlos Montalbán (brother) |
| Awards | Emmy Award (1978) Screen Actors Guild (1993) Hollywood Walk of Fame |
Ricardo Montalbán (born Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a famous Mexican and American actor. He had a very long career, acting in movies and TV shows for over 60 years! He was known for playing many different types of characters, from serious dramas to fun musicals and comedies.
Later in his career, Montalbán played Armando in the Planet of the Apes movies in the early 1970s. He was also the super-smart villain Khan Noonien Singh in the original Star Trek TV show (1967) and the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Many people also remember him from the 1970s and 1980s as the spokesperson for Chrysler cars. He famously talked about the "rich Corinthian leather" in the car's interior.
Montalbán starred as Mr. Roarke on the popular TV show Fantasy Island (1977–1984). He won an Emmy Award for his role in the miniseries How the West Was Won (1978). In 1993, he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. He continued acting even in his 80s, lending his voice to cartoons and appearing as Grandfather Valentin in the Spy Kids movies.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Ricardo Montalbán was born on November 25, 1920, in Mexico City. He grew up in Torreón, Mexico. His parents were Spanish immigrants, and they raised him as a Catholic. He had a sister, Carmen, and two brothers, Pedro and Carlos. As a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his brother Carlos. In 1940, they moved to New York City, where Ricardo got a small part in a play.
First Acting Roles
In 1941, Montalbán appeared in short musical films called Soundies. These were like early music videos played on special jukeboxes. He was often an extra or part of a singing group.
Later in 1941, Montalbán went back to Mexico. There, he starred in many Spanish-language films and became a big star in his home country. He appeared in movies like The Three Three Musketeers (1942) and Santa (1943).
Hollywood Career
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Hollywood filmmakers noticed Montalbán's work in Mexico. The studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) cast him in the movie Fiesta (1947). This movie was very popular, and MGM signed him to a long contract.
He starred with actress Esther Williams in several movies, including On an Island with You (1948) and Neptune's Daughter (1949). In 1949, Montalbán was the first Hispanic actor to be on the cover of Life magazine. He also appeared in the successful war film Battleground (1949).
Montalbán continued to make movies at MGM, including Mystery Street (1950) and the musical Two Weeks with Love (1950). He worked with famous actors like Clark Gable in Across the Wide Missouri (1951). However, many of his later MGM films did not do well, and the studio eventually let him go. He later felt that he often played "caricatures" of Latin characters.
Moving to Television and Stage
After leaving MGM, Montalbán started working more in television. He guest-starred on many popular shows like General Electric Theater and Wagon Train. He also performed on Broadway, the famous theater district in New York City. In 1955, he was in the musical Seventh Heaven.
From 1957 to 1959, Montalbán starred in the Broadway musical Jamaica alongside Lena Horne. His performance earned him a nomination for a Tony Award, which is a very important award for theater actors. He continued to appear in TV shows like Bonanza, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
In 1965, he toured in the musical The King and I. He loved acting on stage because it allowed him to connect directly with the audience. In 1967, he guest-starred in the Star Trek episode "Space Seed" as Khan Noonien Singh, a role he would later make even more famous.
Iconic Roles
Montalbán's most famous TV role was Mr. Roarke on the series Fantasy Island, which ran from 1977 to 1984. On the show, Mr. Roarke and his sidekick Tattoo (played by Hervé Villechaize) helped guests live out their dreams on a mysterious island. The show was very popular, and the characters became well-known.
Another of his most famous roles was reprising his character Khan Noonien Singh in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Fans and critics loved his performance as the powerful and vengeful Khan. Director Nicholas Meyer said that even in his 60s, Montalbán was very strong and fit, and his muscles in the movie were real!
Montalbán also became famous as the spokesperson for Chrysler Cordoba cars. His smooth voice and line about "rich Corinthian leather" became a pop culture catchphrase, even though the exact phrase was often misquoted.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1951, while filming Across the Wide Missouri, Montalbán had a serious accident. He was thrown from a horse and trampled, which caused a back injury that bothered him for the rest of his life. The pain got worse as he got older, and in 1993, he had major back surgery. This surgery left him needing help to move around, but he still continued to act.
He lent his voice to animated films and commercials. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez even created a special role for him in the Spy Kids movies. Montalbán played Grandpa Valentin Avellan in Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003).
Nosotros Foundation
Montalbán was concerned about how Mexican and Latino characters were shown in movies and TV. In 1970, he helped start the Nosotros ("We") Foundation. This group worked to support Latino actors and improve their representation in Hollywood. He was the first president of the foundation.
The Nosotros Foundation created the Golden Eagle Awards, which celebrate Latino actors. These awards are held at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, which was named after him in 2004.
At the theater's naming ceremony, Montalbán shared a funny joke about the different stages of an actor's career:
- Who is Ricardo Montalbán?
- Get me Ricardo Montalbán.
- Get me a Ricardo Montalbán type.
- Get me a young Ricardo Montalbán.
- Who is Ricardo Montalbán?
He then added two more stages, jokingly referring to his later roles and the theater name.
Personal Life
In 1944, Montalbán married actress and model Georgiana Young. Georgiana was the half-sister of famous actresses Sally Blane, Polly Ann Young, and Loretta Young. They were married for 63 years and had four children: Laura, Mark, Anita, and Victor. Georgiana passed away in 2007.
Montalbán was a very religious person and a devoted Catholic. He once said his faith was the most important thing in his life. In 1998, Pope John Paul II honored him by making him a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (KSG). This is a very high honor for a Catholic who is not a priest.
He wrote an autobiography called Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds, which was published in 1980.
Ricardo Montalbán passed away at his home in Los Angeles on January 14, 2009, at the age of 88. He died from heart failure. He is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Images for kids
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Ricardo Montalbán's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Ricardo Montalbán para niños
