Acting · Mexico City, Mexico · Born November 25, 1920
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.
TVStar Trek: Short Treks
2018
as Khan (voice) (archive footage)
MoviePerdida
2009
MovieThe Ant Bully
2006
as Head of Council (voice)
TVAmerican Dad!
2005
as General Juanito Pequeño (voice)
MovieSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over
2003
as Grandfather
MovieSpy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
2002
as Grandfather
TVKim Possible
2002
as Señor Senior Sr. (voice)
TVTitans
2000
TVBuzz Lightyear of Star Command
2000
as Vartkes (voice)
MovieLaurindo Almeida, Muito Prazer
1999
as Self
TVFamily Guy
1999
as The Cow (voice)
MovieBehind the Planet of the Apes
1998
as Self
TVLove Boat: The Next Wave
1998
as Manuel Kaire
MovieBarbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
as Self
TVFreakazoid!
1995
as Armondo Guitierrez (voice)
TVHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as King Carlos (voice)
TVChicago Hope
1994
as Martin Nieves
Heaven Help Us
1994
MovieThat's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
TVThe Golden Palace
1992
as Lawrence Gentry
MovieStar Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991
as Self
Burt Reynolds' Conversations with...
1991
as Self
MovieMarian Apparitions of the 20th Century: A Message of Urgency
1991
as Narrator
TVDream On
1990
as Alejandro Goldman
TVB.L. Stryker
1989
MovieThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
as Vincent Ludwig
TVAmerican Masters
1986
as Self
TVThe Colbys
1985
as Zach Powers
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Vaclav Maryska
MovieCannonball Run II
1984
as King
MovieFatima
1984
as Self - Host
MovieAll-Star Party for Frank Sinatra
1983
as Self
MovieStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982
as Khan Noonien Singh
Space For Women
1981
as Self - Narrator
TVDynasty
1981
TVB. J. and the Bear
1979
Where Dreams Come True
1979
as Narrator
TVThe Magic of David Copperfield
1978
MovieNBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978
as Self
El asalto al castillo de la Moncloa
1978
as Felipe (archive footage)
TVFantasy Island
1978
as Mr. Roarke
MovieReturn to Fantasy Island
1978
as Mr. Roarke
MovieCaptains Courageous
1977
as Manuel
MovieFantasy Island
1977
as Mr. Roarke
MovieMission to Glory: A True Story
1977
as General Lafuente
Joe Panther
1976
as Turtle George
MovieWon Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
1976
as Silent Film Star
McNaughton's Daughter
1976
as Dist. Atty. Charles Quintero
TVSwitch
1975
as Jean-Paul
MovieThe Mark of Zorro
1974
as Captain Esteban
MovieWonder Woman
1974
as Abner Smith
MovieFade In
1973
as Himself
MovieMustang
1973
as Narrator (voice)
Griff
1973
TVPolice Story
1973
MovieThe Train Robbers
1973
as The Pinkerton Man
St. Augustine: The Oldest City
1973
as (Self) Narrator
MovieConquest of the Planet of the Apes
1972
as Armando
MovieChango, Guardian of the Mayan Treasure
1972
as Narrator
MovieFireball Forward
1972
as Jean Duval
The Face of Fear
1971
as Sergeant Frank Ortega
TVNichols
1971
as Colonel Diego Alcazar
TVColumbo
1971
as Luis Montoya
TVThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
1971
MovieEscape from the Planet of the Apes
1971
as Armando
MovieSentinels of Silence
1971
MovieSarge: The Badge or the Cross
1971
as Al Matteo
MovieWalls of Fire
1971
as Self - Narrator
MovieThe Deserter
1970
as Natachai
MovieThe Aquarians
1970
as Dr. Luis Delgado
TVDan August
1970
MovieBlack Water Gold
1970
as Alejandro Zayas
MovieThe Desperate Mission
1969
as Joaquin Murieta
MovieThe Pigeon
1969
as John Stambler / Kane
TVMarcus Welby, M.D.
1969
as Rick Rivera
TVBracken's World
1969
MovieSweet Charity
1969
as Vittorio
TVHere's Lucy
1968
as Prince Phillip Gregory
TVHawaii Five-O
1968
as Tokura
TVThe Name of the Game
1968
The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show
1968
as Self
MovieBlue
1968
as Ortega
MovieSol Madrid
1968
as Jalisco
TVRowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Nick Grobbo
TVThe Carol Burnett Show
1967
as Self
TVThe High Chaparral
1967
as El Tigre
TVIronside
1967
MovieThe Longest Hundred Miles
1967
as Father Sanchez
MovieCode Name: Heraclitus
1967
as Janacek
MovieAlice Through the Looking Glass
1966
as The White King
TVMission: Impossible
1966
as Gerard Sefra
TVFelony Squad
1966
TVStar Trek
1966
as Khan Noonien Singh
MovieThe Singing Nun
1966
as Father Clementi
MovieMadame X
1966
as Phil Benton
TVThe Wild Wild West
1965
The Long, Hot Summer
1965
MovieThe Money Trap
1965
as Pete Delanos
Movie¡Buenas noches, año nuevo!
1964
as Fernando
MovieThe Fantasticks
1964
as El Gallo
MovieCheyenne Autumn
1964
as Little Wolf
TVDaniel Boone
1964
as Count Alfonso De Borba
TVThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Satine
TVSlattery's People
1964
TVThe Rogues
1964
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
TVThe Great Adventure
1963
as Philip Crow
TVBurke's Law
1963
as Nicholas Amenor
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963
TVThe Lieutenant
1963
MovieLove is a Ball
1963
as Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau
MovieThe Reluctant Saint
1962
as Don Raspi
TVCombat!
1962
as Barbu
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVThe Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
TVThe Virginian
1962
as Enrique Cuellar
TVThe Lloyd Bridges Show
1962
MovieHemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962
as Major Padula
MovieRage of the Buccaneers
1961
as Captain Gordon, the Black Buccaneer
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self - Co-Host
TVAlcoa Premiere
1961
TVBen Casey
1961
TVDr. Kildare
1961
as Damon West
TVThe Dick Powell Show
1961
as Stephen Baird
TVCain's Hundred
1961
as Vincent Pavanne
TVThe Defenders
1961
as 'Spanish John' Espejo
MoviePlay of the Week: Rashomon
1960
as Bandit Tasmoro
MovieLet No Man Write My Epitaph
1960
as Louie Ramponi
TVCheckmate
1960
TVPlay of the Week
1959
TVStartime
1959
as Turk
TVAdventures in Paradise
1959
as Captain Henri Privaux
TVRiverboat
1959
as Lt. Devereaux
TVBonanza
1959
as Matsou
TVThe Dick Clark Show
1958
as Self
MovieSayonara
1957
as Nakamura
MovieDesert Warrior
1957
as Prince Said
MovieChild of Trouble
1957
as Teddy Green
TVThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
MovieThree for Jamie Dawn
1956
as George Lorenz
TVThe 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
TVAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Tony Lorca
TVMGM Parade
1955
as Self
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Chato
MovieA Life in the Balance
1955
as Antonio Gómez
MovieThe Queen of Babylon
1954
as Amal
MovieUntouched
1954
as Federico Vascon
TVThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954
TVClimax!
1954
as Pete McLean
MovieThe Saracen Blade
1954
as Pietro Donati
TVLetter to Loretta
1953
as Self - Guest Host / Gino
MovieLatin Lovers
1953
as Roberto Santos
MovieSombrero
1953
as Pepe Gonzales
TVGeneral Electric Theater
1953
as Esteban Espinosa
MovieMy Man and I
1952
as Chu Chu Ramirez
MovieThe Million Dollar Nickel
1952
as Self
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as El Gallo
MovieAcross the Wide Missouri
1951
as Ironshirt
TVSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Pietro
MovieThe Mark of the Renegade
1951
as Marcos Zappa
MovieTwo Weeks with Love
1950
as Demi Armendez
MovieRight Cross
1950
as Johnny Monterez
MovieMystery Street
1950
as Peter Moralas
TVWhat's My Line?
1950
as Self
MovieBattleground
1949
as Roderigues
MovieBorder Incident
1949
as Pablo Rodriguez
MovieNeptune's Daughter
1949
as Jose O'Rourke
MovieThe Kissing Bandit
1948
as Fiesta Specialty Dancer
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
MovieOn an Island with You
1948
as Ricardo Montez
MovieFiesta
1947
as Mario Morales
MovieFantasía ranchera
1947
MoviePepita Jiménez
1946
as Luis Vargas
MovieLa casa de la zorra
1945
MovieThe Hour of Truth
1945
MovieNosotros
1945
as Armando Suárez
MovieCadetes de la naval
1945
MovieLa Fuga
1944
as Teniente
MovieCinco fueron escogidos
1943
MovieSanta
1943
as Jarameño
MovieThe Three Musketeers
1942
as (uncredited)
MovieHe's a Latin from Staten Island
1941
