Ricardo Montalban Biography
Born: November 25, 1920
Date of Birth: November 25, 1920
Handsome, masculine, talented, intelligent, and charismatic Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban is best known for his outstanding and unforgettable performances in the long running series Fantasy Island and the villain in Star Trek III: The Wrath of Khan.
After having received his basic education in Mexico City, Montalban finished high school in Hollywood where he made his theatrical debut in a number of school productions.
It was there that he attracted the attention of studio talent scouts and was offered an MGM screen test after his graduation.
However, he opted to follow his brother to New York City where he was dazzled by the legitimate stage.
He started auditioning for parts on the stage and finally clinched a part in the production Her Cardboard Lover. From that point on, he became a much employed stage actor performing in successful runs of Don Juan In Hell, The King And I, and Jamaica.
In 1941 he returned to Mexico to work on feature films.
Four years and 13 films later, he earned a nomination for the Mexican Academy Award for his performance in Santa (1943), and earned a 10-year contract with MGM studios which had him star in such films as The Kissing Bandit (1948), Neptune's Daughter (1949), Battleground (1949) and Two Weeks of Love (1950).
His most successful years came in the late 70s and early 80s when he was cast as the mysterious owner of Fantasy Island, Mr. Roarke.
He was the man who made dreams come true in the long-running series (1978-84). Montalban also played the nefarious villain Khan (a character he created on the 1967 Space Seed’ episode of the TV series) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). He has also spent years working as the spokesman for Chrysler Corp. automobiles.
As a Hispanic, Montalban has become a role model for his people.
In 1969 he helped found Nosotros, an organization that made in-roads in helping to remove negative stereotypes of Hispanics in the film and television industries.
Married to Georgiana Young (youngest sister to actress Loretta Young) since 1944, the couple live in the Hollywood hills and have had four children, two sons and two daughters.