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Vale: Ricardo Montalban

Best known as 'Mr Roarke' from Fantasy Island, the suave, Mexican-born actor has died at the age of 88.

Ricardo Montalban, who became a household name for his performance as the wish-granting Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island, has died. He was 88.

He died at home, although a cause of death has not been announced.

Although he was best known as the charming Roarke on the 1978-84 hit series, Montalban was also a gifted character actor who won an Emmy for his portrayal of a Sioux chief in the miniseries How the West Was Won.

The Mexican-born actor’s suave manner and patriarchal dignity became his trademarks.

Montalban could also play the most dastardly villains, most memorably his portrayal as the diabolical Khan in the second Star Trek movie, “The Wrath of Khan.” Because he had played the role during the TV series with such menace, the film producers brought back the character for the film.

His tall-dark-and-handsome looks won him a number of “Latin lover” roles during his days under contract at MGM in the 1940s. After a string of movies he moved to TV in the 1960s, making guest appearances on a wide range of shows, including: The Virginian, Ben Casey, Burke’s Law, The Defenders, Dr. Kildare and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. In later years, he sometime appeared as himself, including an appearance on Dynasty in 1981.

Montalban married Georgiana Young, who was Loretta Young’s sister, in 1944. The couple had four children.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3 Responses

  1. Farewell to a class act and an especially rich voice. His recent Family Guy apperance (as a heroic cow) was hilarious. “To all you salad-eating homosexuals, I thank you”. Gold.

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