Ricardo Montalban

Biography

Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino (November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican-American actor. He had a career spanning seven decades (motion pictures from 1943 to 2006) across radio, television, theatre, and film. During the mid-1970s, Montalbán was most notable as the spokesman in automobile advertisements for the Chrysler Cordoba, in which he famously extolled the "soft Corinthian leather" used for its interior. He also advertised the Chrysler New Yorker. From 1977 to 1984, he became famous as Mr. Roarke the main star in the television series Fantasy Island. He played Khan Noonien Singh in both 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 mini series 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.

Known For

Family Guy

American Dad!

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Columbo

Murder, She Wrote

Star Trek

Bonanza

Ironside

All Movies (96)

• Perdida2009
• The Ant Bully2006 · as Head of Council (voice)
• Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over2003 · as Grandfather
• Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams2002 · as Grandfather
• Laurindo Almeida, Muito Prazer1999 · as Self
• Behind the Planet of the Apes1998 · as Self
• Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line1997 · as Self
• That's Entertainment! III1994 · as (archive footage)
• Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special1991 · as Self
• Marian Apparitions of the 20th Century: A Message of Urgency1991 · as Narrator
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!1988 · as Vincent Ludwig
• Cannonball Run II1984 · as King
• Fatima1984 · as Self - Host
• All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra1983 · as Self
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan1982 · as Khan Noonien Singh
• Space For Women1981 · as Self - Narrator
• Where Dreams Come True1979 · as Narrator
• NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney1978 · as Self
• El asalto al castillo de la Moncloa1978 · as Felipe (archive footage)
• Return to Fantasy Island1978 · as Mr. Roarke
• Captains Courageous1977 · as Manuel
• Fantasy Island1977 · as Mr. Roarke
• Mission to Glory: A True Story1977 · as General Lafuente
• Joe Panther1976 · as Turtle George
• Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood1976 · as Silent Film Star
• The Mark of Zorro1974 · as Captain Esteban
• Wonder Woman1974 · as Abner Smith
• Fade In1973 · as Himself
• Mustang1973 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Train Robbers1973 · as The Pinkerton Man
• St. Augustine: The Oldest City1973 · as (Self) Narrator
• Conquest of the Planet of the Apes1972 · as Armando
• Chango, Guardian of the Mayan Treasure1972 · as Narrator
• Fireball Forward1972 · as Jean Duval
• The Face of Fear1971 · as Sergeant Frank Ortega
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes1971 · as Armando
• Sentinels of Silence1971
• Sarge: The Badge or the Cross1971 · as Al Matteo
• Walls of Fire1971 · as Self - Narrator
• The Deserter1970 · as Natachai
• The Aquarians1970 · as Dr. Luis Delgado
• Black Water Gold1970 · as Alejandro Zayas
• The Desperate Mission1969 · as Joaquin Murieta
• The Pigeon1969 · as John Stambler / Kane
• Sweet Charity1969 · as Vittorio
• Blue1968 · as Ortega
• Sol Madrid1968 · as Jalisco
• The Longest Hundred Miles1967 · as Father Sanchez
• Code Name: Heraclitus1967 · as Janacek
• Alice Through the Looking Glass1966 · as The White King
• The Singing Nun1966 · as Father Clementi
• Madame X1966 · as Phil Benton
• The Money Trap1965 · as Pete Delanos
• ¡Buenas noches, año nuevo!1964 · as Fernando
• The Fantasticks1964 · as El Gallo
• Cheyenne Autumn1964 · as Little Wolf
• Love is a Ball1963 · as Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau
• The Reluctant Saint1962 · as Don Raspi
• Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man1962 · as Major Padula
• Rage of the Buccaneers1961 · as Captain Gordon, the Black Buccaneer
• Play of the Week: Rashomon1960 · as Bandit Tasmoro
• Let No Man Write My Epitaph1960 · as Louie Ramponi
• Sayonara1957 · as Nakamura
• Desert Warrior1957 · as Prince Said
• Child of Trouble1957 · as Teddy Green
• Three for Jamie Dawn1956 · as George Lorenz
• A Life in the Balance1955 · as Antonio Gómez
• The Queen of Babylon1954 · as Amal
• Untouched1954 · as Federico Vascon
• The Saracen Blade1954 · as Pietro Donati
• Latin Lovers1953 · as Roberto Santos
• Sombrero1953 · as Pepe Gonzales
• My Man and I1952 · as Chu Chu Ramirez
• The Million Dollar Nickel1952 · as Self
• Across the Wide Missouri1951 · as Ironshirt
• The Mark of the Renegade1951 · as Marcos Zappa
• Two Weeks with Love1950 · as Demi Armendez
• Right Cross1950 · as Johnny Monterez
• Mystery Street1950 · as Peter Moralas
• Battleground1949 · as Roderigues
• Border Incident1949 · as Pablo Rodriguez
• Neptune's Daughter1949 · as Jose O'Rourke
• The Kissing Bandit1948 · as Fiesta Specialty Dancer
• On an Island with You1948 · as Ricardo Montalban
• Fiesta1947 · as Mario Morales
• Fantasía ranchera1947
• Pepita Jiménez1946 · as Luis Vargas
• La casa de la zorra1945
• The Hour of Truth1945
• Nosotros1945 · as Armando Suárez
• Cadetes de la naval1945
• La Fuga1944 · as Teniente
• Cinco fueron escogidos1943
• Santa1943 · as Jarameño
• The Three Musketeers1942 · as (uncredited)
• He's a Latin from Staten Island1941

All TV Shows (107)

• Star Trek: Short Treks2018 · as Khan (voice) (archive footage)
• American Dad!2005 · as General Juanito Pequeño (voice)
• Kim Possible2002 · as Señor Senior Sr. (voice)
• Titans2000
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command2000 · as Vartkes (voice)
• Family Guy1999 · as The Cow (voice)
• Love Boat: The Next Wave1998 · as Manuel Kaire
• Freakazoid!1995 · as Armondo Guitierrez (voice)
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as King Carlos (voice)
• Chicago Hope1994 · as Martin Nieves
• Heaven Help Us1994
• The Golden Palace1992 · as Lawrence Gentry
• Burt Reynolds' Conversations with...1991 · as Self
• Dream On1990 · as Alejandro Goldman
• B.L. Stryker1989
• American Masters1986 · as Self
• The Colbys1985 · as Zach Powers
• Murder, She Wrote1984 · as Vaclav Maryska
• Dynasty1981
• Dynasty1981 · as Zachary 'Zach' Powers
• B. J. and the Bear1979
• The Magic of David Copperfield1978
• Fantasy Island1978 · as Mr. Roarke
• McNaughton's Daughter1976 · as Dist. Atty. Charles Quintero
• Switch1975 · as Jean-Paul
• Griff1973
• Police Story1973
• Nichols1971 · as Colonel Diego Alcazar
• Columbo1971 · as Luis Montoya
• The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour1971
• Dan August1970
• Marcus Welby, M.D.1969 · as Rick Rivera
• Bracken's World1969
• Here's Lucy1968 · as Prince Phillip Gregory
• Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Tokura
• The Name of the Game1968
• Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Alex Pareno
• The Name of the Game1968 · as Bernard Torres
• The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show1968 · as Self
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self (uncredited)
• It Takes a Thief1968 · as Nick Grobbo
• The Carol Burnett Show1967 · as Self
• The High Chaparral1967 · as El Tigre
• The High Chaparral1967 · as Padre Eduardo Sanchez
• Ironside1967
• Mission: Impossible1966 · as Gerard Sefra
• Felony Squad1966
• Star Trek1966 · as Khan Noonien Singh
• The Wild Wild West1965
• The Long, Hot Summer1965
• Daniel Boone1964 · as Count Alfonso De Borba
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.1964 · as Satine
• Slattery's People1964
• The Rogues1964
• Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1963
• The Great Adventure1963 · as Philip Crow
• The Great Adventure1963 · as Jean Lafitte
• Burke's Law1963 · as Nicholas Amenor
• Burke's Law1963 · as Armand Dubovier
• The Greatest Show on Earth1963
• The Lieutenant1963
• Combat!1962 · as Barbu
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Virginian1962 · as Enrique Cuellar
• The Virginian1962 · as Louis Boissevain
• The Virginian1962 · as Francisco Sosentes
• The Lloyd Bridges Show1962
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self - Co-Host
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• Alcoa Premiere1961
• Ben Casey1961
• Dr. Kildare1961 · as Damon West
• The Dick Powell Show1961 · as Stephen Baird
• Cain's Hundred1961 · as Vincent Pavanne
• The Defenders1961 · as 'Spanish John' Espejo
• Checkmate1960
• Play of the Week1959
• Startime1959 · as Turk
• Adventures in Paradise1959 · as Captain Henri Privaux
• Riverboat1959 · as Lt. Devereaux
• Bonanza1959 · as Matsou
• The Dick Clark Show1958 · as Self
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show1956 · as Self
• The 20th Century Fox Hour1955
• The 20th Century Fox Hour1955 · as Cochise
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents1955 · as Tony Lorca
• MGM Parade1955 · as Self
• Gunsmoke1955 · as Chato
• The Wonderful World of Disney1954
• Climax!1954 · as Pete McLean
• Climax!1954 · as Joe Bermudes
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Self - Guest Host / Gino
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Joe Martinez
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Angelo Pelligrini
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Nemo Rustin
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Frank
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Frank Montclair
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Tony Santos
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Father Garcia
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Father William Gomez
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Esteban Espinosa
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as El Gallo
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Pietro
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self