Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban is one of the two most famous "Star Trek" film villains to reprise his role. He played Khan Noonien Singh in both the episode "Space Seed" (1967) and the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).

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Ricardo Montalban served as the commercial spokesman for Chrysler Corporation automobiles for thirteen years.

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Ricardo Montalban had four children with Georgiana Young. His sons were Victor Montalban (born April 18, 1952) and Mark Montalban (March 13, 1947). His daughters were Laura Montalban, a clothing designer (August 12, 1945 – November 17, 2017), and Anita Montalban (March 21, 1949).

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Ricardo Montalban was nominated for the 1958 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his work in the show "Jamaica."

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The sister of Ricardo Montalban's wife, Georgiana Young, was the actress Loretta Young.

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Ricardo Montalban attended and graduated from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California.

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In 1999, Ricardo Montalban bought an old Hollywood theater designed by the noted architect John C. Austin and built in 1927: "… he devised a plan to rebuild this theater in a way that would benefit the various communities and to build a state-of-the-art school to complement this live theater."

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Ricardo Montalban played a Japanese gangster in an episode of the series Samurai (1968). His eye makeup was so binding that Montalban could not even blink. As a result, Montalban's continuous takes are always short. The effect is somewhat jarring. Most people blink when they move their head to readjust their eyes. Montalban never moves his head while in front of the camera.

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Ricardo Montalban had three siblings: Carmen Montalban, Pedro Montalban and Carlos Montalbán.

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Ricardo Montalban is best remembered by the public for his role as Mr. Roarke in Fantasy Island (1977).

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Montalban's dignified bearing and rich Spanish accent brought talent to the small screen in a number of television series. It also made him a popular spokesman for Maxwell House Coffee and Chrysler Corporation automobiles.

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Because he loved the role so much, Ricardo Montalban agreed to reprise the part of Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) for only $100,000. He also watched the original series episode "Space Seed" to remember Khan and worried that his voice would sound like Mr. Roarke's.

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For many years Ricardo Montalban followed a strict diet and exercise regimen that gave him an enviable physique. After the premiere of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), director Nicholas Meyer immediately put to rest any rumors that Montalban had used prosthetics to look more muscular during filming.

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In 1986, Ricardo Montalban recorded a public service announcement celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty and, as a foreign-born actor, celebrating the generosity and hospitality of the United States.

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Ricardo Montalban was the step-brother-in-law of Polly Ann Young, Sally Blane and Loretta Young, and the step-uncle of Judy Lewis and Christopher Lewis.

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After his death, Ricardo Montalban was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) from the University of New Mexico (UNM), which his granddaughter Lydia Martinez accepted on May 13, 2023.

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Ricardo Montalban's friendly "Latin Lover" rivalry with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer star Fernando Lamas later inspired an unforgettable sketch on Saturday Night Live (1975) with Bill Murray, "Quien es mas macho, Fernando Lamas o Ricardo Montalban?"

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Ricardo Montalban replaced Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's friendly rival Fernando Lamas in the musical comedy Latin Lovers (1953); he starred alongside Lana Turner, whose real-life relationship with Lamas had ended stormily at the time. Both Montalban and Turner later appeared together in the drama Madame X (1966).

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Ricardo Montalban appeared with Madlyn Rhue in episodes of three different television series: Bonanza (1959), Star Trek (1966) and Fantasy Island (1977). Both Montalban and Rhue played husband and wife in the first two of these series.

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The classic Hollywood theater Ricardo Montalban bought was renamed the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in an official ceremony held on May 11, 2004. Many celebrities attended the ceremony, among them Ed Begley Jr., Valerie Harper, Loni Anderson, Hector Elizondo and Robert Goulet.

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Montalban was a Roman Catholic who once claimed his religion was the most important thing in his life. He was a member of Good Shepherd Parish and of the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California.

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In 1998, Pope John Paul II awarded him the Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory, the highest honor given to a layperson in the Roman Catholic Church.

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After his death, Montalban was buried alongside his wife, Georgiana Young, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. He never gave up acting until his death.

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He spoke English and Spanish fluently.

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He appeared in two films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Battleground (1949) and Sayonara (1957).

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On February 8, 1960, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

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He played two villains who possessed a device that encouraged someone to accept commands to kill by shooting: Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and Vincent Ludwig in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988).

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