Editing Ricardo Montalbán

{{short description|Mexican and American actor (1920–2009)}}
{{family name hatnote|Montalbán|Merino|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name             = Ricardo Montalbán
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of St. Gregory the Great|KSG]]
| image            = Fantasy Island Ricardo Montalban (cropped).jpg <!-- Please don't add any other images, particularly of Khan here, since they are not free of copyright- this image is, and can be used here -->
| caption          = Montalbán as Mr. Roarke in ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' (1977)
| birth_name       = Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1920|11|25}}
| birth_place      = [[Mexico City]], Mexico
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2009|01|14|1920|11|25}}
| death_place      = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| resting_place    = [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City]]
| nationality      = Mexican, American<ref name=USVoter>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/photos-latino-republican-celebrities_n_1832250.html#slide=1430114 |work=Huffington Post |first=Carolina |last=Moreno |title=LOOK: Are These Latino Celebs Republicans? |date=August 27, 2012}}</ref>
| occupation       = Actor
| years_active     = 1941–2008
| spouse           = {{marriage|[[Georgiana Young]]|1944|2007|end=died}}
| children         = 4
| relations        = [[Carlos Montalbán]] (brother)
| awards           = [[Emmy Award]] (1978)<br />[[Screen Actors Guild]] (1993)<br />[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
}}

'''Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino''', <small>[[Order of St. Gregory the Great|KSG]]</small> ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|m|ɒ|n|t|əl|ˈ|b|ɑː|n}} {{respell|MON|təl|BAHN}}; {{IPA|es|montalˈβan|lang}}; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became widely known for performances in genres from crime and drama to musicals and comedy. 

Later in his career, Montalbán portrayed Armando in the ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' film series from the early 1970s, starring in both ''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1971) and ''[[Conquest of the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1972). As the villain [[Khan Noonien Singh]], a [[Human enhancement|genetically enhanced]] human, he guest-starred in the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' television series (1967) and starred in the film ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' (1982). 

During the 1970s and 1980s, Montalbán was a spokesman for [[Chrysler]] for thirteen years, featured in their automotive commercials and advertisements, notably those in which he extolled the "rich [[Corinthian leather]]" used in the [[Chrysler Cordoba|Cordoba]]'s interior.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/uvyTTx33PPQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200702041441/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvyTTx33PPQ&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Ricardo Montalbán Chrysler Cordoba "Corinthian Leather" (1980)| date=November 12, 2018 |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=uvyTTx33PPQ|access-date=November 21, 2018|publisher=YouTube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Montalbán played Mr. Roarke on the television series ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' (1977–1984). He won an [[Emmy Award]] for his role in the miniseries ''[[How the West Was Won (TV series)|How the West Was Won]]'' (1978),<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle F.|publisher=Ballantine Books|year=2003|isbn=0-345-45542-8|page=1429}}</ref> and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the [[Screen Actors Guild]] in 1993. Montalbán was professionally active into his eighties, providing voices for animated films and commercials, and appearing as Grandfather Valentin in the ''[[Spy Kids (franchise)|Spy Kids]]'' franchise.

==Early life==
Montalbán was born on November 25, 1920, in Mexico City, and grew up in [[Torreón]],<ref name=SUAVE>{{cite news|last=Munoz|first=Lorenza|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/15/MNBR15ADEC.DTL |work=Los Angeles Times |date= January 15, 2009 |title= Suave actor Ricardo Montalban dies}}</ref> the son of [[Spaniards|Spanish]] immigrants Ricarda Merino Jiménez and Genaro Balbino Montalbán Busano, a store manager,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/29/Ricardo-Montalban.html|title=Ricardo Montalban profile at|publisher=Filmreference.com|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> who raised him as a Catholic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dillon|first=Nancy|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4189863.story?page=2|title='Fantasy Island' actor Ricardo Montalban dies at 88|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|date=January 14, 2009|access-date=September 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name=lat>{{cite news|last=Muñoz|first=Lorenza|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4189863.story|title=Ricardo Montalban dies at 88; 'Fantasy Island' actor|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 15, 2009|access-date=September 16, 2010}}</ref> He was born with an [[arteriovenous malformation]] (AVM) in his spine.<ref name=SEAL>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39-hR5rGlc "Ricardo Montalban tribute"] YouTube, acceptance speech video of Easter Seals Lifetime Achievement Award</ref> Montalbán had a sister, Carmen, and two brothers, Pedro and [[Carlos Montalbán|Carlos]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800015033/bio |title=Ricardo Montalban Biography – Yahoo! Movies |publisher=Movies.yahoo.com |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> As a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles to live with Carlos. They moved to New York City in 1940, and Montalbán earned a minor role in the play ''Her Cardboard Lover''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-14/entertainment/ricardo.montalban_1_fantasy-island-mr-roarke-turner-classic-movies?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|title='Fantasy Island' actor Ricardo Montalban dead at 88|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=January 14, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514070505/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-14/entertainment/ricardo.montalban_1_fantasy-island-mr-roarke-turner-classic-movies?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|archive-date=May 14, 2012}}</ref>

==Career==
===Short films===
In 1941, Montalbán appeared in three-minute musicals produced for the [[Soundies]] film jukeboxes. He appeared in many of the New York–produced Soundies as an extra or as a member of a singing chorus (usually billed as Men and Maids of Melody), although he had the lead role in ''He's a Latin from Staten Island'' (1941), in which he (billed simply as "Ricardo") played the title role of a guitar-strumming gigolo, accompanied by an offscreen vocal by [[Van and Schenck|Gus Van]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/topic/Ricardo_Montalban/wiki/|title=Topic: Ricardo Montalban|publisher=[[UPI]]|access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref>

===Mexican films===
Later in 1941, Montalbán returned to Mexico after learning that his mother was dying. There, he acted in a dozen Spanish-language films and became a star in his homeland.<ref name=INTL/>

He had an uncredited appearance in a version of ''[[The Three Musketeers (1942 film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1942) starring [[Cantinflas]]. He can be glimpsed in ''[[El verdugo de Sevilla]]'' (1942), ''[[The Saint That Forged a Country]]'' (1942) starring [[Ramon Navarro]], and ''[[La razón de la culpa]]'' (1943).

===Stardom in Mexico===
Montalbán became a star in Mexico in ''[[Santa (1943 film)|Santa]]'' (1943), which was directed by a Hollywood expat, [[Norman Foster (director)|Norman Foster]]. He followed it with a support role in ''[[Cinco fueron escogidos]]'' (1943).

Some American filmmakers shot a movie in Mexico about Yugoslavia in World War II, ''[[Five Were Chosen]]'' (1944). Montalbán had a support role.<ref name="ind">{{Cite web|last=Vallance|first=Tom|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ricardo-montalban-mr-roarke-of-fantasy-island-who-championed-latinos-in-the-film-and-television-industry-1546288.html|title=Ricardo Montalban: Mr Roarke of 'Fantasy Island' who championed Latinos in the film and television industry|website=The Independent|date=5 February 2009}}</ref>

Foster gave him a second lead role in ''[[The Escape (1944 film)|The Escape]]'' (1944) aka ''La Fuga''. Montalban had the star role in ''[[Cadetes de la naval]]'', ''[[Nosotros]]'', and ''[[The Hour of Truth]]'' (all 1945), the latter a bullfighting drama also directed by Foster.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/jan/16/ricardo-montalban-obituary|title=Obituaries: Ricardo Montalban|website=The Guardian|date=January 16, 2009}}</ref>

Montalban was in ''[[The House of the Fox]]'' (1945), ''[[Pepita Jiménez (1946 film)|Pepita Jimenez]]'' (1946), and ''[[Fantasía ranchera]]'' (1947).

===Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer===
[[File:Ricardo Montalban in Fiesta trailer.jpg|thumb|left|As Mario Morales in ''Fiesta'']]
[[File:Jane Powell in Two Weeks With Love (4).png|thumb|Montalbán dancing with [[Jane Powell]] in ''[[Two Weeks With Love]]'' (1950)]]
Montalbán's films had been seen by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] who were looking for someone to play a bullfighter opposite [[Esther Williams]] in ''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]'' (1947), shot in Mexico. Montalbán was cast and the movie was very popular; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed him to a long-term contract.<ref name="Mannix">{{citation |title=The Eddie Mannix Ledger |publisher=Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study |location=Los Angeles}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/25/archives/mexican-is-signed-for-lead-in-film-ricardo-montalban-to-costar-in.html|title=MEXICAN IS SIGNED FOR LEAD IN FILM; Ricardo Montalban to Co-Star in Metro's 'Fiesta'--Western Due at Gotham on Friday|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 25, 1945}}</ref>

The studio re-teamed him with Williams in ''[[On an Island with You]]'' (1948). He had a dance number in the [[Frank Sinatra]] musical ''[[The Kissing Bandit (film)|The Kissing Bandit]]'' (1948), then did a third film with Williams, ''[[Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)|Neptune's Daughter]]'' (1949), in which they dueted on "[[Baby It's Cold Outside]]".<ref name="guardian"/>

Montalbán's first leading role was in the film noir ''[[Border Incident]]'' (1949) with actor [[George Murphy]], directed by Anthony Mann. It was one of a number of lower budgeted films made at the studio under [[Dore Schary]] and earned a small loss. Montalbán was the first Hispanic actor to appear on the front cover of ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine on November 21, 1949. "I was king for a week," he said later. "I thought the offers would flood in, but after a week—nothing."<ref name="call"/>

Montalban was one of several soldiers in the [[William Wellman]] war film ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]'' (1949), a huge success at the box office. He was given another star role in ''[[Mystery Street]]'' (1950), playing a detective in a film noir directed by [[John Sturges]]. It was a box office disappointment.

Sturges also directed ''[[Right Cross (film)|Right Cross]]'' (1950) with Montalbán, [[Dick Powell]] and [[June Allyson]]. Montalbán and [[Jane Powell]] made the musical ''[[Two Weeks with Love]]'' (1950), which was a minor hit.<ref name="Mannix"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/03/09/archives/metro-will-make-right-cross-film-ricardo-montalban-gets-lead-in.html|title=METRO WILL MAKE 'RIGHT CROSS' FILM; Ricardo Montalban Gets Lead in Prizefight Picture -- Deutsch to Produce|newspaper=New York Times|date=March 9, 1949}}</ref>

Universal borrowed Montalbán and [[Cyd Charisse]] for a swashbuckler, ''[[The Mark of the Renegade]]'' (1951).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/09/11/archives/universal-to-film-california-drama-ricardo-montalban-will-star-in.html|title=UNIVERSAL TO FILM CALIFORNIA DRAMA; Ricardo Montalban Will Star in 'Don Renegade'--Joe E. Brown Set for 'Show Boat'|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 11, 1950}}</ref> Back at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was second billed to [[Clark Gable]] in ''[[Across the Wide Missouri (film)|Across the Wide Missouri]]'' (1951), directed by Wellman. The film was a big hit, although Montalbán was injured during shooting.<ref name="guardian"/>

The studio teamed him and [[Shelley Winters]] in ''[[My Man and I]]'' (1952) where he played a laborer under the direction of Wellman; it didn't sell well at the box office.

Montalbán was one of several names in ''[[Sombrero (film)|Sombrero]]'' (1953), shot in Mexico. Montalbán was [[Lana Turner]]'s leading man in ''[[Latin Lovers (1953 film)|Latin Lovers]]'' (1953). Both films lost money and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer let him go.

He later said, "I played caricatures of what a Latin is supposed to be like. In reality, we are family men. I should have had the courage of [[Dolores Del Rio]] who returned to Mexico and made her best movies there."<ref name="colby">Dignity first with Ricardo Montalban goes from Mr. Roarke to the Colby crew with class: [SA1 Edition]
Jim Bawden Toronto Star. Toronto Star February 22, 1986: F10.</ref>

===B movies, television, and Broadway===
Montalbán did a swashbuckler for [[Sam Katzman]], ''[[The Saracen Blade]]'' (1954), then returned to Mexico to star in ''[[Untouched (film)|Untouched]]'' (1954).

He travelled to Italy to make ''[[The Queen of Babylon]]'' (1954) with [[Rhonda Fleming]], then returned to Mexico to make the US-financed ''[[A Life in the Balance]]'' (1955) with [[Anne Bancroft]]. He bought a story for himself, ''Green Shadows'', but it appears not to have been made.<ref>Looking at Hollywood: Ricardo Montalban Will Do Planter Who Fights Commies; Hedda Hopper. Chicago Daily Tribune March 23, 1954: a2.</ref>

Montalbán began working in television, guest-starring on shows such as ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]'', ''[[Celebrity Playhouse]]'', ''[[Climax!]]'', ''[[The 20th Century-Fox Hour]]'' (versions of ''Broken Arrow'' and ''Five Fingers''), ''[[Chevron Hall of Stars]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', and ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]''.

In 1955, he appeared on Broadway in ''[[Seventh Heaven (musical)|Seventh Heaven]]'' with [[Gloria DeHaven]] but it ran for only forty-four performances. In Hollywood, he appeared in the thriller for Allied Artists, ''[[Three for Jamie Dawn]]'' (1956).

Montalbán returned to Italy for ''[[Desert Warrior (1957 film)|Desert Warrior]]'' (1957), then had his first role in an "A" Hollywood film for a number of years in ''[[Sayonara (film)|Sayonara]]'' (1957), in which he played a Japanese dancer. He later said, "I was and still am very pleased with my performance and very much saddened by this picture. I was hoping for an Academy Award nomination, but unfortunately, most of my scenes ended up on the cutting-room floor."<ref name="ind"/>

From 1957 to 1959, Montalbán starred in the Broadway musical ''[[Jamaica (musical)|Jamaica]]'', singing several light-hearted [[Calypso music|calypso]] numbers opposite [[Lena Horne]], which ran for 555 performances.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination.<ref>FILMLAND EVENT: Ricardo Montalban Will Return Here
Los Angeles Times April 8, 1959: A11.</ref>

Montalbán continued to guest-star on shows such as ''[[Colgate Theatre (1949 TV series)|Colgate Theatre]]'' and ''[[Playhouse 90]]''. When ''Jamaica'' ended, he guest-starred in ''[[Riverboat (TV series)|Riverboat]]'', ''[[Adventures in Paradise (TV series)|Adventures in Paradise]]'', ''[[Startime (1959 TV series)|Startime]]'', ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', ''[[Bonanza]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''The Christophers'', ''[[The Dinah Shore Chevy Show]]'', ''[[The Loretta Young Show]]'' (several times), ''[[Zorro (1957 TV series)|Zorro]]'', ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'', ''[[Checkmate (US TV series)|Checkmate]]'', ''[[Cain's Hundred]]'', and ''[[The Lloyd Bridges Show]]''.

Montalbán could also be seen in ''[[Let No Man Write My Epitaph]]'' (1960); the TV remake of ''[[Rashomon (1960 film)|Rashomon]]'' (1960) directed by [[Sidney Lumet]]; ''[[Rage of the Buccaneers]]'' (1961), an Italian swashbuckler in which Montalbán had a lead role alongside [[Vincent Price]]; ''[[Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man]]'' (1962); ''[[The Reluctant Saint]]'' (1963) with [[Maximillian Schell]]; and ''[[Love is a Ball]]'' (1963) with [[Glenn Ford]], playing a French duke. He was the Native American leader [[Little Wolf]] in ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964) directed by John Ford, did the TV version of ''[[The Fantasticks (1964 film)|The Fantasticks]]'' (1964), and returned to Mexico to make ''[[¡Buenas noches, año nuevo!]]'' (1964).<ref>Ricardo Montalban Career Checkered: Images of Swashbuckler, Dancer Hard to Live Down; Scheuer, Philip K., Los Angeles Times, March 19, 1963: D7.</ref>

He was mostly seen, though, on television in ''[[Alcoa Premiere]]'', ''[[The Dick Powell Theatre]]'', ''[[Ben Casey (TV series)|Ben Casey]]'', ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'', ''[[The Lieutenant (TV series)|The Lieutenant]]'', ''[[The Great Adventure (U.S. TV series)|The Great Adventure]]'', ''[[Slattery's People]]'', ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'', ''[[The Rogues (TV series)|The Rogues]]'', ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'', ''Dr. Kildare'', and ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''<ref>RICARDO MONTALBAN NO LONGER TYPE CAST
Los Angeles Times December 1, 1964: D16.</ref>

Montalbán had supporting roles in ''[[The Money Trap]]'' (1965) with Ford, directed by [[Burt Kennedy]], ''[[Madame X (1966 film)|Madame X]]'' (1966) with Turner for producer [[Ross Hunter]], and ''[[The Singing Nun (film)|The Singing Nun]]'' (1966) with [[Debbie Reynolds]] at MGM.

He guest-starred in ''[[The Long, Hot Summer (TV series)|The Long, Hot Summer]]'', ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'', ''[[The Wild Wild West]]'', ''Insight'', ''[[Combat!]]'', ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'', ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'', ''Hawaii Five-O'' (playing a Japanese-American crime boss <ref>{{Citation |last=Ganzer |first=Alvin |title=Samurai |date=1968-10-17 |work=Hawaii Five-O |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0598132/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |others=Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Zulu}}</ref>), and ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''.

In 1965, he toured in ''[[The King and I]]''. {{" '}}I think every actor loves the stage,' he said in 1991. 'The pros are that it is the actor's medium; there's no way your scene is going to end up on the cutting-room floor, and it's up to you to get and keep the attention of the audience by the truth of your performance.{{'"}}<ref>Ricardo Montalban is very selective about new roles Series: NEWSMAKERS REVISITED: [CITY Edition], Horning, Jay.; St. Petersburg Times, April 21, 1991: 11A.</ref>

He appeared in the television films ''[[Alice Through the Looking Glass (1966 film)|Alice Through the Looking Glass]]'' (1966) (for which his fee was $10,000,<ref name="call"/> equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|10000|1966|r=-3}}}} today.{{Inflation-fn|US}}) and ''[[Code Name: Heraclitus]]'' (1967), and the features ''[[The Longest Hundred Miles]]'' (1967), ''[[Sol Madrid]]'' (1968), and ''[[Blue (1968 film)|Blue]]'' (1968). He also guest-starred on "[[Space Seed]]", an episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''. "I'm like a doctor on 24-hour call," he said in a 1967 interview. "I don't turn anything down."<ref name="call">Ricardo Montalban Quite a Character---in Many Roles; Paul Henninger, Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1967: d16.</ref>

Montalbán also starred in radio, such as on the internationally syndicated program ''Lobo del Mar'' (''Seawolf''), in which he was cast as the captain of a vessel that became part of some adventure at each port it visited. This 30-minute weekly show aired in many Spanish-speaking countries until the early 1970s.

===Television movies===
Montalbán guest-starred in ''[[The Felony Squad]]'', ''[[Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]'', ''[[It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]'', and ''[[The High Chaparral]]''. He did the television films ''[[The Pigeon (1969 film)|The Pigeon]]'' (1969), ''[[The Desperate Mission (1969 film)|The Desperate Mission]]'' (1969) (playing [[Joaquin Murrieta]]), and ''[[Black Water Gold]]'' (1970), and had a supporting role in the big screen film version of ''[[Sweet Charity (film)|Sweet Charity]]'' (1969).<ref>Theater: Actor Ricardo Montalban--still a Casanova type, Mary Daniels, Chicago Tribune, February 23, 1969: a8.</ref>

Montalbán was in ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]''; ''[[Gunsmoke]]''; ''[[Dan August]]''; ''[[Bracken's World]]''; ''[[Marcus Welby, M.D.]]''; ''The Virginian''; ''[[The Doris Day Show]]''; ''[[Sarge (TV series)|Sarge]]''; and ''[[Nichols (TV series)|Nichols]]''. He did the television films ''[[The Aquarians]]'' (1970), ''[[The Face of Fear]]'' (1971), and ''[[Fireball Forward]]'' (1972) and the features ''[[The Deserter (1970 film)|The Deserter]]'' (1970), ''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1971), ''[[Conquest of the Planet of the Apes]]'', and ''[[The Train Robbers]]'' (1973) (directed by Kennedy).<ref>Ricardo Montalban Set for 'Lab' Role, Los Angeles Times, December 1, 1969: d34.</ref><ref>TV REVIEW: Ricardo Montalban Star of 'Aquarians', Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1970: e20.</ref>

Montalbán continued to guest-star on shows like ''[[O'Hara, U.S. Treasury]]''; ''[[Here's Lucy]]''; and ''[[Griff (TV series)|Griff]]''.

In 1972, Montalbán co-founded the [[Screen Actors Guild]] Ethnic Minority Committee with actors [[Carmen Zapata]], [[Henry Darrow]] and [[Edith Diaz]]. In 1973, he returned to Broadway for a revival of ''[[Don Juan in Hell]]''. He did the television films ''[[Wonder Woman (1974 film)|Wonder Woman]]'' (1974), ''[[The Mark of Zorro (1974 film)|The Mark of Zorro]]'' (1974), ''[[McNaughton's Daughter]]'' (1976), and guest-starred on ''[[Switch (American TV series)|Switch]]'' and ''[[Columbo]]''.
 
In 1975, he was chosen as the television spokesman for the new [[Chrysler Cordoba]]. The car became a successful model, and over the following several years, was heavily advertised; his mellifluous delivery of a line praising the "soft", "fine" or "rich [[Corinthian leather]]" upholstery of the car's interior became famous and was much [[parody|parodied]], and Montalbán subsequently became a favorite subject of impersonators. For example, [[Eugene Levy]] frequently impersonated him on ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'', as did [[Dan Aykroyd]] on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. In 1986, he was featured in a magazine advertisement for the new [[Chrysler New Yorker]].<ref>No Corinths were harmed during the filming of old Ricardo Montalban ads: [Ontario Edition], David Menzies, National Post, September 10, 2004: DO4.</ref>

Montalbán is in ''[[Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' (1976), and ''[[Joe Panther]]'' (1976) and had a regular role in a short lived series ''[[Executive Suite (TV series)|Executive Suite]]'' (1976). He guest-starred on ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]'' and did the television films ''[[Mission to Glory: A True Story]]'' (1977), ''[[Captains Courageous (1977 film)|Captains Courageous]]'' (1977), as well as the miniseries ''[[How the West Was Won (TV series)|How the West Was Won]]'' (1978).

===''Fantasy Island'' and ''Star Trek II''===
[[File:Ricardo Montalban Herve Villechaize Fantasy Island 1977.JPG|thumb|upright|Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and [[Hervé Villechaize]] as Tattoo in a publicity still for the television film ''Return to Fantasy Island'']]
Montalbán's best-known television role was that of Mr. Roarke on the television series ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', which he played from 1977 until 1984. For a while, the series was one of the most popular on television, and his character as well as that of his sidekick, Tattoo (played by [[Hervé Villechaize]]), became popular icons.

Another of his well-known roles was that of [[Khan Noonien Singh]] in ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' (1982), in which he reprised a role that he had originated in the episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' titled "[[Space Seed]]" (1967). Early rumors suggested Montalbán wore prosthetic muscles on his chest during filming of ''Star Trek II'' to appear more muscular. Director [[Nicholas Meyer]] replied that even in his sixties, Montalbán, who had a vigorous training regimen, was "one strong cookie", and that his real chest was seen on film. Khan's costume was specifically designed to display Montalbán's physique. 

His performance as Khan was widely praised. Critic [[Christopher Null]] called Khan the "greatest role of Montalbán's career".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/4a70265ecf80030388256e2500834f36/3f2427e0a8050d9b88256c05000e83e4?OpenDocument|title=''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''|author=Christopher Null|author-link=Christopher Null|date=July 28, 2002|publisher=[[Filmcritic.com]]|access-date=December 4, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630115543/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/4a70265ecf80030388256e2500834f36/3f2427e0a8050d9b88256c05000e83e4?OpenDocument|archive-date=June 30, 2012}}</ref> ''New Yorker'' critic [[Pauline Kael]] said Montalbán's performance as Khan "was the only validation he has ever had of his power to command the big screen".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.metroactive.com/metro/01.14.09/film-moviesnews-0902.html|newspaper=Metroactive|first=Richard|last=von Busack|title=Ricardo Montalban Remembered|date=February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429080022/http://www.metroactive.com/metro/01.14.09/film-moviesnews-0902.html|archive-date=April 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}<!-- has full Kael quote --></ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of ''The Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote how this type of film was "only as good as its villain" and Montalbán's decision to avoid [[overacting]] and instead play the character as motivated by "deeply wounded pride" inspired a measure of sympathy in the audience.<ref name="ebert-rev">{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|date=January 1, 1982|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19820101/REVIEWS/201010345/1023|title=Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=September 13, 2008|author-link=Roger Ebert|archive-date=September 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916105635/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19820101%2FREVIEWS%2F201010345%2F1023|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Montalbán agreed to take the role for a significant pay cut, since by his own admission, he relished reprising the role, and his only regret was that he and [[William Shatner]] never interacted – the characters never meet face to face, except through video communication – for their scenes were filmed several months apart to accommodate Montalbán's schedule for ''Fantasy Island''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Muñoz|first=Lorenza|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4099069,full.story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090119083551/http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4099069,full.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2009|access-date=April 18, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 15, 2009|title=Ricardo Montalban dies at 88; 'Fantasy Island' actor}}</ref> When, much later, Montalbán guest-starred in the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[McStroke]]" as a genetically engineered cow, his character made several references to his role as Khan, and similar references were made in his role as Armando Guitierrez on the animated series ''[[Freakazoid!]]''. After a cameo in ''[[Cannonball Run II]]'' (1984), Montalbán had a guest role in ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' which led to a regular role in its spin-off ''[[The Colbys]]''.

Montalbán played the villain in ''[[The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!]]'' (1988) and guest-starred in ''[[B.L. Stryker]]''; ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''; ''[[Hearts Are Wild]]''; and ''[[The Golden Palace]]''.

===Injury and later career===
During the filming of ''[[Across the Wide Missouri (film)|Across the Wide Missouri]]'' (1951), Montalbán was thrown from his horse, knocked unconscious, and trampled by another horse, which aggravated his [[arteriovenous malformation]] and resulted in a traumatic back injury that never healed.<ref name="SEAL" /> The pain increased as he aged, and in 1993, he underwent over nine hours of spinal surgery that left his body below the waist impaired and requiring the use of mobility aids.<ref>I've heard that Ricardo Montalban is seriously ill. What's his problem?: [Final Edition], John Parkyn, ''Sun Sentinel'', September 28, 1997: p. 4.</ref>

Despite constant pain, he continued to perform, providing voices for animated films and supporting his Nosotros Foundation. Filmmaker [[Robert Rodriguez]] created the role of Valentin Avellan in the ''[[Spy Kids]]'' film series specifically for Montalbán.

He had another regular series with ''[[Heaven Help Us (TV series)|Heaven Help Us]]'' (1994), but it only lasted 14 episodes.

In 1997, Montalbán sued the producers of ''Fantasy Island'' claiming he was entitled to five percent of the profits. The producers claimed the show had lost $11 million. The matter settled out of court.<ref>Ricardo Montalban reveals the fantasy in Sony's accounting, Doug Camilli, The Gazette, April 5, 1997, p. E.5.</ref>

Montalbán also narrated several historical documentaries including the Spanish version of the [[National Park Service]]'s history of Pecos Pueblo for [[Pecos National Historical Park]].

At one point during the development of the Disney animated film ''[[Lilo & Stitch]]'' (2002), Montalbán recorded voice lines for an alien member of a gang led by [[Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)|Stitch]], then made to be an adult, naturally-born alien gang leader, using his performance as Khan in ''Star Trek II'' as basis. After a story meeting in which the film's gang elements were entirely cut due to being perceived as superfluous to the plot, Montalbán's character was removed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebiri|first=Bilge|url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/an-oral-history-of-lilo-and-stitch-a-hand-drawn-miracle.html|title=An Oral History of ''Lilo & Stitch''|website=[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]]|date=2022-10-19|access-date=2024-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019144402/https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/an-oral-history-of-lilo-and-stitch-a-hand-drawn-miracle.html|archive-date=2022-10-19|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Montalbán had a supporting role in ''[[Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams]]'' (2002) and ''[[Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over]]'' (2003).

Prior to his death in January 2009, Montalbán recorded the voice for a guest character in an episode of the animated series ''[[American Dad!]]'', in which main character [[Roger (American Dad!)|Roger]] becomes the dictator of a South American country. According to executive producer Mike Barker, it was his last role after ''[[The Ant Bully (film)|The Ant Bully]]''.<ref>''[[TV Guide]]'', September 14, 2009, p. 63</ref>

==Nosotros Foundation and Montalbán Theatre==
:{{see also|Ricardo Montalbán Theatre}}
The way he was asked to portray Mexicans disturbed him, so Montalbán, along with Richard Hernandez, Val de Vargas, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Carlos Rivas, Tony de Marco, and [[Henry Darrow]],<ref name=HEAT /> established the Nosotros ("We") Foundation in 1970 to advocate for Latinos in the movie and television industries.<ref name=LATIMES>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4189863.story |title=Ricardo Montalban dies at 88; 'Fantasy Island' star |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2012 |first=Lorenza |last=Muñoz}}</ref> He served as its first president, and was quoted as saying: "I received tremendous support, but there also were some negative repercussions. I was accused of being a militant, and as a result I lost jobs."<ref name=INTL>{{cite news |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/obits.1-407992.php |title=Ricardo Montalban, early Latino leading man, dies |author1=Dederer, Claire |author2=Weber, Bruce |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=January 16, 2009 |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228211023/http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/obits.1-407992.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ironically, the Nosotros Foundation and he were instrumental in taking roles away from [[Nico Minardos]], a Greek-American actor who in the 1970s often played Latino roles because of his appearance and accent. Minardos similarly became outspoken, and according to his agent and others, it cost him a recurring role as a Mexican mayor in an episode of ''[[Alias Smith and Jones]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/ondemand/findingnico|title=Watch Finding Nico Online - Vimeo On Demand|first=Owen|last=Prell|date=January 19, 2017 | website=Vimeo.com | access-date=October 30, 2017}}</ref>

The foundation created the Golden Eagle Awards, an annual awards show highlighting Latino actors. The awards are presented in conjunction with the Nosotros American Latino Film Festival, held at the [[Ricardo Montalbán Theatre]] in Hollywood.<ref name=HEAT>{{cite web|url=http://www.latinheat.com/news.php?nid=698|publisher=Latin Heat Online|date=June 16, 2006|title=Ricardo Montalbán presents the Nosotros American Latino Film Festival|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826124525/http://www.latinheat.com/news.php?nid=698|archive-date=August 26, 2006|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Ricardo Montalbán Hollywood Walk of Fame Star.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Ricardo Montalbán Hollywood Walk of Fame Star shortly after his death]]
The Nosotros Foundation and the Ricardo Montalbán Foundation agreed to purchase the Doolittle Theatre in 1999 from [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.themontalban.com/ | title=Montalban Theater Hollywood California – Legendary Theater in Los Angeles|website=www.themontalban.com|access-date=October 30, 2017}}</ref> The theater had been owned by [[Howard Hughes]] in the early 1930s, then later was renamed the Huntington Hartford Theater when purchased in 1954 by philanthropist [[Huntington Hartford]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2004/12/hartford200412|magazine=Vanity Fair|title=Hostage to Fortune|author=Suzanna Andrews|access-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref> then later the Doolittle Theater. The process from agreement to opening took over four years. The facility in Hollywood was officially renamed the [[Ricardo Montalbán Theatre]] in a May 11, 2004, ceremony. The event was attended by numerous celebrities, including [[Ed Begley Jr.]] representing the [[Screen Actors Guild]], [[Valerie Harper]], [[Loni Anderson]], [[Hector Elizondo]], and [[Robert Goulet]].<ref name=TREK>{{cite web|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/5521.html|title=Star Trek website: May 8, 2004-Crowds Gather to Inaugurate Montalbán Theatre|publisher=Startrek.com|access-date=March 29, 2012|archive-date=July 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714233035/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/5521.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

When Montalbán rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair, he repeated "the five stages of the actor" (originally coined by [[Jack Elam]] to describe the course of his own career). Montalbán had become famous for using the self-deprecating joke in interviews and in public speeches:
* 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 jokingly added two more stages: 
* "Wait a minute—isn't that What's-his-name?", referring to his role in the ''Spy Kids'' movies
* "Who the hell is that?", believing that to be the reaction of people seeing his name on the theater marquee.<ref name=TREK/>

Montalbán spoke about the goal of the Nosotros organization:<ref name=TREK/>{{quotation|Mexico is my mother; the United States the best friend I will ever have. And so I dream of the day when my mother will say, 'Ricardo, you have chosen a wonderful friend.' And the day when the friend will say, 'Ricardo, you have a sensational mother.' That is why it is very important to bring us together. Brothers and sisters, love thy neighbor as thyself. And this theatre, I think, can be a little grain of sand towards that end. Here we have opened the doors not only for the opportunity of young talent to develop—writers, directors, actors—but also in coming together as a group in this society in which we live. Let's open a hand of friendship and love and brotherhood. That is my dream. I'll never see it complete while I'm still alive, but I think this is the beginning, and that is what makes me so happy to see this come to fruition.}}

==Personal life==
[[File:Ricardo Montalban and Georgiana Young.png|thumb|Montalbán with wife [[Georgiana Young]] ({{circa|1950}})]]
After seeing [[Georgiana Young]] in ''[[The Story of Alexander Graham Bell]]'' (1939), then-18-year-old Montalbán became enamored of the 15-year-old Young{{snd}}half-sister of actresses [[Sally Blane]], [[Polly Ann Young]], and [[Loretta Young]].<ref name=PeopleRandG>{{cite magazine |title=Cast Off in Hollywood, Ricardo Montalban Lands Safely on 'Fantasy Island' |first=Martha |last=Smilgis |date=1978-04-18 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |volume=9 |issue=15 |url=https://people.com/archive/cast-off-in-hollywood-ricardo-montalban-lands-safely-on-fantasy-island-vol-9-no-15/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029110436/https://people.com/archive/cast-off-in-hollywood-ricardo-montalban-lands-safely-on-fantasy-island-vol-9-no-15/ |archive-date=2020-10-29 |url-status=live}}</ref> Montalbán had started his own stage and film career by the time the two met on a blind date; Montalbán proposed that evening, later stating "It took a week to persuade her."<ref name=PeopleRandG/> They married in 1944, and had four children together: Laura, Mark, Anita and Victor.<ref name=SUAVE /><ref>{{cite web |last= Evanier |first= Mark |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2009_01_14.html |work= News From Me Archives |title= Wednesday January 14, 2009 – Ricardo Montalban, R.I.P. |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090218225132/http://newsfromme.com/archives/2009_01_14.html |archive-date= February 18, 2009 }}</ref> After 63 years of marriage, Young died in 2007, at age 83.<ref name=LATObit/>
 
Montalbán was a practicing Catholic, once claiming that his religion was the most important thing in his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicweb.com/media_index.cfm?fuseaction=view_article&partnerid=18&article_id=547|publisher=CatholicWeb.com|title=Ricardo Montalbán receives first Spirit of Angelus Award at student film festival|access-date=October 24, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204005609/http://www.catholicweb.com/media_index.cfm?fuseaction=view_article&partnerid=18&article_id=547|archive-date=December 4, 2007}}</ref> He was a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goodshepherdbh.org/a-city-on-a-hill/our-history|title=Our History - Church of the Good Shepherd|website=Church of the Good Shepherd|access-date=October 30, 2017}}</ref> In 1998, [[Pope John Paul II]] made him a Knight of the [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]] (KSG),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-03-me-4531-story.html|title=L.A. Times Online|author=Worley, Lloyd|date=January 1998|publisher=The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040824140201/http://www.greeleynet.com/~maxalla/OKHSSub/Gallantry.html|archive-date=August 24, 2004|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> the highest honor a Roman Catholic lay person can receive from the Church.<ref name=lat/> In 1986, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, he recorded a [[public service announcement]] celebrating the United States' generosity and hospitality to him as a foreign-born actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ricardo-montalban-liberty-minute-psa-1986/279466912/?icid=VIDURVENT08|title=AOL.com Video|publisher=Video.aol.com|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>

His autobiography ''Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds'' was published in January 1980 by Doubleday.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds|last=Montalbán |first=Ricardo|author2=Thomas, Bob|year=1980 |publisher=Doubleday|location=Garden City, NY|isbn=978-0-385-12878-0|url=https://archive.org/details/reflectionslifei00mont|url-access=registration}}</ref>

For many years, Montalbán followed a strict diet and physical training regimen, giving him an enviable physique. After the release of ''The Wrath of Khan'', director [[Nicholas Meyer]] was quick to quell rumors of Montalbán using prosthetics during filming.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/09/10/ricardo-montalbans-chest-real-or-fake-star-trek-wrath-of-khan/603958001/|title='Star Trek: Wrath of Khan' director: Quit asking if Ricardo Montalban's chest is fake|website=[[USA Today]]|date=September 10, 2017}}</ref>

In 2005,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://secretary.unm.edu/awards/honorary_degrees/|title=Honorary degrees :: Office of the University Secretary|website=secretary.unm.edu}}</ref> Montalbán was due to receive an honorary doctorate from the [[University of New Mexico]], but due to circumstances was unable to attend the ceremony. On May 13, 2023, Montalbán was posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from UNM, which was received by his granddaughter Lydia Martinez.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cT01pGEpTw|title=Spring 2023 #UNMGrad Stream|date=May 13, 2023 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> 

===Death===
On January 14, 2009, Montalbán died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 88. According to his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith, he died of "complications from advancing age".<ref name=LATObit>{{cite news |title=Ricardo Montalbán dies at 88; 'Fantasy Island' actor |first=Lorenza |last=Muñoz |date=January 15, 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15%2C0%2C4189863.story |access-date=January 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117121735/http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,4189863.story |archive-date=2009-01-17 |url-status=live}}</ref> The precise cause of death was revealed to be congestive heart failure.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/arts/15montalban.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries "Ricardo Montalbán, Star of 'Fantasy Island', Dies at 88"], ''The New York Times'', Thursday, January 15, 2009.</ref><ref name="NYDailyNews">{{cite news|date=January 15, 2008|title=Mexican-American actor Ricardo Montalbán dies at 88|newspaper=New York Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2009/01/14/2009-01-14_mexicanamerican_actor_ricardo_montalban_.html|access-date=January 15, 2009|archive-date=June 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601064642/http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2009/01/14/2009-01-14_mexicanamerican_actor_ricardo_montalban_.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is buried in the [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery]] in [[Culver City, California]].

== In popular culture ==
[[Andy García]] portrays Ricardo Montalbán in the 2018 film ''[[My Dinner with Hervé]]'', which is based on the life of Montalbán's ''Fantasy Island'' co-star [[Hervé Villechaize]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=2017-07-05 |title=''My Dinner With Hervé'': Andy García To Play Ricardo Montalbán In HBO Movie |url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/my-dinner-with-herve-andy-garcia-cast-hbo-movie-1202124104/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Soundies]]''
| Chorus Member / Crowd Extra 
| Musical Shorts
|-
| rowspan="2" |1942
| ''[[El verdugo de Sevilla]]''
| Jacobito
| as Ricardo Montalvan
|-
| ''[[The Saint Who Forged a Country]]''
| Soldado
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1943
| ''[[La razón de la culpa]]''
| Anunciador en barco
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Santa (1943 film)|Santa]]''
| Jarameño 
|
|-
| ''[[Cinco fueron escogidos|Five Were Chosen]]''
| Stefan
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[The Escape (1944 film)|The Escape]]''
| Teniente 
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1945
| ''Cadetes de la Naval''
| Cadet Ricardo Almagro
|
|-
| ''[[Nosotros (film)|Nosotros]]''
| Armando Suárez
|
|-
| ''[[La hora de la verdad]]''
| Rafael Meija
|
|-
| ''[[La casa de la zorra]]''
| Alberto Salcedo
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[Pepita Jiménez (1946 film)|Pepita Jiménez]]'' 
| Luis Vargas
|
|-
|1947
| ''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]''
| Mario Morales 
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1948
| ''[[On an Island with You]]''
| Ricardo Montez 
|
|-
| ''[[The Kissing Bandit (film)|The Kissing Bandit]]''
| Fiesta Specialty Dancer 
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1949
| ''[[Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)|Neptune's Daughter]]''
| José O'Rourke 
|
|-
| ''[[Border Incident]]''
| Pablo Rodriguez 
|
|-
| ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]''
| Rodriguez 
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1950
| ''[[Mystery Street]]''
| Lieutenant Peter Morales 
|
|-
| ''[[Right Cross]]''
| Johnny Monterez 
|
|-
|''[[Two Weeks With Love]]''
| Demi Armendez
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1951
| ''[[The Mark of the Renegade]]''
| Marcos Zappa
|
|-
| ''[[Across the Wide Missouri (film)|Across the Wide Missouri]]''
| Ironshirt
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[My Man and I]]''
| Chu Chu Ramirez 
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1953
| ''[[Sombrero (film)|Sombrero]]'' 
| Pepe Gonzales 
| 
|-
| ''[[Latin Lovers (1953 film)|Latin Lovers]]''
| Roberto Santos 
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1954
| ''[[The Saracen Blade]]''
| Pietro Donati 
|
|-
| ''[[Untouched (film)|Untouched]]''
| Federico Gascón
|
|-
| ''[[Queen of Babylon]]''
| Amal
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[A Life in the Balance]]''
| Antonio Gómez 
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Three for Jamie Dawn]]''
| George Lorenz 
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1957
| ''[[Desert Warrior (1957 film)|Desert Warrior]]''
| Prince Said
|
|-
| ''[[Sayonara]]''
| Nakamura 
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Let No Man Write My Epitaph]]''
| Louie Ramponi 
|
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Rage of the Buccaneers]]''
| Captain Gordon
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1962
| ''[[Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man]]''
| Major Padula
|
|-
| ''[[The Reluctant Saint]]''
| Father Raspi
|
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Love Is a Ball]]''
| Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1964
| ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]''
| Little Wolf
|
|-
| ''[[The Fantasticks]]''
| El Gallo
| Television film
|-
| ''¡Buenas noches, año nuevo!''
| Fernando
|
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Money Trap]]''
| Pete Delanos
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1966
| ''[[Madame X (1966 film)|Madame X]]''
| Phil Benton
|
|-
| ''[[The Singing Nun (film)|The Singing Nun]]''
| Father Clementi
|
|-
| 1967
| ''[[The Longest Hundred Miles]]''
| Father Sanchez
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1968
| ''[[Sol Madrid]]''
| Jalisco
|
|-
| ''[[Blue (1968 film)|Blue]]''
| Ortega
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969
| ''[[Sweet Charity (film)|Sweet Charity]]''
| Vittorio Vitale
|
|-
| ''[[Desperate Mission (TV Movie)|Desperate Mission]]''
| Joaquin Murrieta
| Television film
|-
| 1970
| ''[[The Deserter (1970 film)|The Deserter]]''
| Natachai
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1971
| ''[[The Face of Fear]]''
| Sergeant Frank Ortega
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]''
| Armando
|
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Conquest of the Planet of the Apes]]''
| Armando
|
|-
| 1973
| ''[[The Train Robbers]]''
| The Pinkerton Man
|
|-
| 1974
| ''[[The Mark of Zorro (1974 film)|The Mark of Zorro]]''
| Captain Esteban
| Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1976
| ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]''
| Silent Film Star
| 
|-
| ''Joe Panther''
| Turtle George
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1977
| ''Mission to Glory: A True Story''
| General Lafuente
|
|-
| ''[[Captains Courageous (1977 film)|Captains Courageous]]''
| Manuel
| Television film
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]''
| [[Khan Noonien Singh]]
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Cannonball Run II]]''
| King
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!]]''
| Vincent Ludwig
|
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams]]''
| rowspan="2" | Grandpa Valentin Avellan
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over]]''
|
|-
| 2006
| ''[[The Ant Bully (film)|The Ant Bully]]''
| Head of Council (voice)
| Final film role<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Ricardo Montalban (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Ricardo-Montalban/ |access-date=October 26, 2023 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1955
| ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]''
| Carlos Cortez
| Episode: "Cardboard Casanova"
|-
| ''[[Climax!]]''
| Pete McLean
| Episode: "The Mojave Kid"
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1956
| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''
| Esteban Espinosa
| Episode: "Esteban's Legacy"
|-
| ''[[Celebrity Playhouse]]''
| 
| Episode: "The Foreigner"
|-
| ''[[Chevron Hall of Stars]]''
| 
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Climax!]]''
| Joe Bermudes
| Episode: "Island in the City"
|-
| ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]''
| Carlos Dominguez
| Episode: "Lady in His Life"
|-
| ''[[The 20th Century-Fox Hour]]''
| Cicero & Cochise
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1957
| ''[[Wagon Train]]''
| Jean LeBec
| Episode: "The Jean LeBec Story"
|-
| ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]''
| Pietro
| Episode: "Storm Over Rapallo"
|-
| ''[[Playhouse 90]]''
| Teddy Green
| Episode: "Child of Trouble"
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Colgate Theatre (1958 TV series)|Colgate Theatre]]''
| Tio
| Episode: "Tonight in Havana"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1959
| ''[[Adventures in Paradise (TV series)|Adventures in Paradise]]''
| Henri Privaux
| Episode: "The Derelict"
|-
| ''[[Riverboat (TV series)|Riverboat]]''
| Lieutenant Andre B. Devereaux
| Episode: "A Night at Trapper's Landing"
|-
| ''[[Playhouse 90]]''
| Vicente Hidalgo
| Episode: "Trouble for Three"
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1960
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
| "Tony" Lorca / Pepe Lorca
| Episode: "Outlaw in Town"
|-
| ''[[Death Valley Days]]''
| [[Joaquin Murietta]]
| Episode: "Eagle in the Rocks"
|-
| ''[[Bonanza]]''
| Matsou
| Episode: "Day of Reckoning"
|-
| ''[[The Play of the Week|Play of the Week]]''
| Bandit Tasmoro
| Episode: "Rashomon"
|-
| ''[[Startime (American TV series)|Startime]]''
| Turk
| Episode: "Jeff McLeod, the Last Reb"
|-
| ''[[Hamlet]]''
| Claudius
| Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1961
| ''[[The Dinah Shore Chevy Show]]''
| Karl Steiner
| 1 episode
|-
| ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]''
| Frank Makouris
| Episode: "Stranglehold"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1962
| ''[[Cain's Hundred]]''
| Vincent Pavanne
| Episode: "A Creature Lurks in Ambush"
|-
| ''[[The Lloyd Bridges Show]]''
| Navarro 
| Episode: "War Song"
|-
| ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]''
| Enrique Cuellar
| Episode: "The Big Deal"
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Ben Casey]]''
| Henry Davis
| Episode: "Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1964
| ''[[The Lieutenant]]''
| Private First Class John Reading
| Episode: "Tour of Duty"
|-
| ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]''
| "Spanish John" Espejo
| Episode: "Whitewash"
|-
| ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''
| Satine
| Episode: "The Dove Affair"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1966
| ''[[The Wild Wild West]]''
| Colonel Noel Bartley Vautrain
| Episode: "The Night of the Lord of Limbo"
|-
| ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]''
| Damon West
| 4 episodes
|-
| ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''
| Delgado
| Episode: "The King of Diamonds Affair"
|-
| ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]''
| Count Alfonso De Borba
| Episode: "The Symbol"
|-
| ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]''
| General Vera
| Episode: "Magic Mirror"
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1967
| ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''
| [[Khan Noonien Singh]]
| Episode: "[[Space Seed]]"
|-
| ''[[The Longest Hundred Miles]]''
| Father Sanchez
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]''
| Gerard Sefra
| Episode: "Snowball in Hell"
|-
| ''[[Combat! (TV series)|Combat!]]''
| Barbu
| Episode: "Gadjo"
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1968
| ''[[Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]''
| Sergeant Al Cervantes
| Episode: "The Sacrifice"
|-
| ''[[The High Chaparral]]''
| El Tigre
| Episode: "Tiger by the Tail"
|-
| ''[[It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]''
| Nick Grobbo
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]''
| Louis Boissevain
| Episode: "The Wind of Outrage"
|-
| ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''
| Tokura
| Episode: "Samurai"
|-
| ''[[The High Chaparral]]''
| Padre Sanchez
| Episode: "Our Lady of Guadalupe"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1970
| ''[[Gunsmoke]]''
| Chato
| Episode: "Chato"
|-
| ''[[Marcus Welby, M.D.]]''
| Rick Rivera
| Episode: "Labyrinth"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[The Doris Day Show]]''
| Richard Cordovan
| Episode: "Billy's First Date"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1972
| ''[[Here's Lucy]]''
| Prince Phillip Gregory Hennepin of Montalbania 
| Episode: "Lucy and Her Prince Charming"
|-
| ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''
| Alex Pareno
| Episode: "Death Wish on Tantalus Mountain"
|-
|1973
| ''Death Follows the Psycho''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd-death-follows-the-psycho-lorne-greene/3868271|title = Death Follows the Psycho}}</ref>
| Human Time Bomb
|
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Wonder Woman (1974 film)|Wonder Woman]]''
| Abner Smith
| Pilot
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Switch (American TV series)|Switch]]''
| Jean-Paul
| Episode: "Kiss of Death"
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Columbo]]''
| Luis Montoya
| Episode: "A Matter of Honor"
|-
| 1976–1977
| ''[[Executive Suite (TV series)|Executive Suite]]''
| David Valerio
| 8 episodes
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]''
| Major Sergio Flores
| Episode: "Hard Rock Brown"
|-
| 1978
| ''[[How the West Was Won (TV series)|How the West Was Won]]''
| Satangkai
| 4 episodes
|-
| 1978–1984
| ''[[Fantasy Island]]''
| Mr. Roarke
| 124 episodes
|-
| 1985–1987
| ''[[The Colbys]]''
| Zachary "Zach" Powers
| 48 episodes
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]''
| Zachary "Zach" Powers
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| ''[[B.L. Stryker]]''
| Victor Costanza
| Episode: "High Rise"
|-
| ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''
| Vaacclav Maryska
| Episode: "Murder in F Sharp"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1991
|''[[Cadena braga]]''
| Marcel
| Telenovela
|-
| ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]''
| Alejandro Goldman
| Episode: "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told"
|-
| 1993
| ''[[The Golden Palace]]''
| Lawrence Gentry 
| Episode: "Senor Stinky Learns Absolutely Nothing About Life"
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Heaven Help Us (TV series)|Heaven Help Us]]''
| Mr. Shepherd
| 13 episodes
|-
| 1995–1997
| ''[[Freakazoid!]]''
| Armando Gutierrez (voice)
| 5 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Chicago Hope]]''
| Colonel Martin Nieves
| Episode: "Colonel of Truth"
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Love Boat: The Next Wave]]''
| Manuel Kaire
| Episode: "Getting to Know You"
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]''
| Vartkes (voice)
| Episode: "Lone Wolf"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Titans (2000 TV series)|Titans]]''
| Mr. Sanchez
| Episode: "Someone Wicked This Way Comes"
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Dora the Explorer (TV series)|Dora the Explorer]]''
| El Encantador (voice)
| Episode: "The Missing Piece"
|-
| 2002–2007
| ''[[Kim Possible]]''
| Señor Senior Sr. (voice)
| 5 episodes
|-
| 2003
| ''[[The Brothers García]]''
| Raul Apodaca
| Episode: "The Spin Zone"
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Family Guy]]''
| The Cow (voice)
| Episode: "[[McStroke]]"
|-
| 2009
| ''[[American Dad!]]''
| General Juanito Pequeño (voice)
| Episode: "[[Moon Over Isla Island]]"
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Star Trek: Short Treks]]''
| Khan Noonien Singh
| Archival audio<br />Episode: "Ephraim and Dot" (posthumous appearance)
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds|last=Montalbán|first=Ricardo|author2=Bob Thomas|year=1980|publisher=Doubleday|location=Garden City, N.Y.|isbn=978-0-385-12878-0|oclc=5799611|url=https://archive.org/details/reflectionslifei00mont|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|title=Latino American Cinema: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, California|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i8n24V3bAO8C&pg=PA175|first=Scott L.|last=Baugh|year=2012|pages=175–77|isbn=9780313380365}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Ricardo Montalbán}}
* {{IMDb name|1544}}
* {{IBDB name|68345}}
* {{TCMdb name}}
* {{Find a Grave|32923607}}
* {{The Interviews name}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040904182400/http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2003/10/23/PEOPLE-4/ Catholics in Media Associates Lifetime Achievement Award]
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002tf1q Image of Ricardo Montalbán and Florence Henderson in a theater production of "The King and I" in Los Angeles, California, 1965.] [[Los Angeles Times]] Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Ricardo Montalbán
|list =
{{EmmyAward DramaGuestActor}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward LifeAchievement 1980–1999}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montalban, Ricardo}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Mexican male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century Mexican male actors]]
[[Category:Actors awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:Belmont High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]
[[Category:Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Chrysler people]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American male actors]]
[[Category:Knights of St. Gregory the Great]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mexico City]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Mexican emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mexican male film actors]]
[[Category:Mexican male stage actors]]
[[Category:Mexican male television actors]]
[[Category:Mexican male voice actors]]
[[Category:Mexican people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Mexican Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]]