Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalban (Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalban y Merino, KSG November 25, 1920 - January 14, 2009) was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and movie actor. He had a career seven decades long (motion pictures from 1943 to 2006) and many notable roles.
During the mid-1970s, Montalban was the spokesman in TV automobile advertisements for the Chrysler Cordoba, in which he praised the "soft Corinthian leather" used for its interior. He also advertised the Chrysler New Yorker.
From 1977 to 1984, he was famous as Mr. Roarke the main star in the television series Fantasy Island. He played Khan Noonien Singh in the 1967 episode "Space Seed" of the first season of the original Star Trek series, and the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
He won an Emmy Award in 1978 for his role in the miniseries How the West Was Won and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 1993. Into his 80s, he continued to perform, often providing voices for animated films and commercials, and appearing in several Spy Kids films as "Grandfather Valentin".
Montalban was born in Mexico City, Mexico on November 25, 1920. He grew up in the city of Torreon, the son of Spanish immigrants Ricarda Merino and Jenaro Montalban, a store manager. He was married to Georgiana Belzer from 1944 until her death in 2007. They had four children.
Montalban died from heart failure in his Los Angeles, California home on January 14, 2009, aged 88.
References
Other websites
1920 births
2009 deaths
Actors from Mexico City
Deaths from heart failure
Emmy Award winning actors
Mexican movie actors
Mexican radio actors
Mexican stage actors
Mexican television actors
Mexican voice actors