RIP: Ricardo Montalban
Filed under: Obits
For over sixty years, Ricardo Montalban charmed audiences -- he was the man who granted wishes on Fantasy Island; he fooled the Captain of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (look above); and in recent years, he even grandfathered some sassy Spy Kids and gained new virtual legs. And now, I'm sad to write that The Hollywood Reporter posts that Montalban has passed away at the age of 88. According to the report, he died in his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and the news was released at a meeting of the city council.
Montalban's career began in 1942 with the WWII drama Five Were Chosen. In the coming decades, his roles morphed from Latin lovers, to a slew of ethnic characters, and finally, in 1967, the role of Khan in an episode of Star Trek. After time in space, Montalban moved on to Planet of the Apes, and took on a series of television roles, which finally nabbed him an Emmy in 1978 for How the West Was Won. We all know what that year also brought -- six years of wish-granting on the show that made his face known to all -- Fantasy Island.
His last role: He voiced The Cow in the "McStroke" episode of Family Guy. While not the most desirable role to bid adieu to Hollywood with, it was certainly an example of the man's range. Ricardo, you will be missed.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-15-2009 @ 3:01AM
Scott Weinberg said...
Gosh that's weird. I just watched the first three Star Trek movies over the weekend, and (yet again) I was taken with how much evil FUN Ricardo was having with Kahn. And he always came off as such a cool, classy guy. He will be missed.
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1-15-2009 @ 11:11AM
Kevin said...
Ditto. I fell asleep to Khan just two nights ago and was thinking how awesome that guy was. Don't forget my second favorite role of his; Vincent Ludwig in Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad.
1-15-2009 @ 10:15AM
carg0 said...
KAAAHHHHNNNNNNNNNN !!
: (
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1-15-2009 @ 12:36PM
knitcat said...
Yes, but will his coffin be lined with RICH CORITHAAAAAAN Leather?
1-15-2009 @ 4:05PM
Astin said...
Now I must go find the SCTV skit, Ricardo Montalban's School of FIIIIINE Acting!
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1-16-2009 @ 3:26PM
David said...
I want to know who his personal trainer was, he was something like 62 in Wrath of Khann and looks like he could crack walnuts with his pecks.
It also always bothered me that Khann was basically handing Kirk his ass, until Spock told Kirk what to do, then Spock also has to get crispified in the engine room.
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1-16-2009 @ 9:18PM
Robin said...
I have loved Richardo since I was a kid and first saw "Space Seed" in the seventies. It is so hard for me to know that voice is now silent.
My thoughts are with his family and friends.
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2-03-2009 @ 2:54AM
Dave said...
I was born two years after the wrath of khan was released, when I watched it years later I was amazed at how passionate Ricardo played his roll as khan, and is the only movie that I was actually upset seeing the villan die, in my books he is the best actor of his time, RIP.
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