"He was a stellar artist and a consummate person and performer with a tremendous understanding of culture ... and the ability to express it in his work," Olmos said.Also in the late 1970s, he won an Emmy for his performance as Chief Satangkai in the television miniseries "How the West Was Won. ""He was incredibly handsome, he gave a style and dignity to all of his roles -- no matter what role he played," said author Reyes.Decades later, he appeared as the evil tycoon in the 1988 comedy smash "Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on Montalban died of natural causes Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.Beginning in the 1940s, Montalban starred in dozens of films with some of the greatest names in movies, including Clark Gable and Lana Turner. He had also appeared in "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams" (2002).But it was "Fantasy Island" that created his lasting image in front of the Hollywood cameras.Elegantly attired in a white suit and black tie, Montalban created such an iconic -- albeit somewhat kitschy -- figure that he often reprised the character in subsequent films and television shows.The show's executive producer, Aaron Spelling, told TV Guide in 1980 that Montalban gave Mr. Roarke the "otherworldly quality we needed. The Ricardo Montalban Foundation, formed in 1999, purchased the former Doolittle Theatre near Hollywood and Vine to stage Latino productions and renamed the theater after Montalban. Ricardo Montalban talks with the When he was 5, the family moved to the northern city of Torreon. He searched for acting jobs there and got a one-line role in a parody of "The Three Musketeers," starring Cantinflas. He challenged Hollywood to stop stereotyping Latin actors by casting them only as prostitutes, maids, gang-bangers and bandidos.By establishing the Nosotros Foundation, Montalban attempted to highlight and recognize Latino participation in the arts and entertainment.
But for all of his success at the time, a breakout role eluded him, perhaps because he was often typecast in so-called “Latin Lover” parts. Although debilitated by severe pain, Montalban continued to act well into his seventies and eighties. He underwent nine-and-a-half hours of spinal surgery at UCLA Medical Center. Contact the Television Archive at (818) 754-2800 for more information.Our continuing series of opinion pieces from industry leaders and professionals, sharing ideas, fostering dialogue, and inspiring change.This innovative Emmy-winning interactive program is breaking new ground this year.We suggest you use the latest version of any of these browsers:Watch Montalban's exclusive conversation with the Television Archive about his life and career. He is survived by two daughters, two sons and six grandchildren. He was offered a screen test, but his brother advised him against taking it.By that time, however, the acting bug had hit, and soon the handsome Montalban found himself the star of a short film that was made to play on a screen atop a jukebox. Conegut pels seus papers de Sr. Roarke a la sèrie de TV Fantasy Island i de Khan Noonien Singh a …
Further spinal problems emerged in 1993, when he lost the feeling in his leg, and subsequent tests revealed that he had suffered a small hemorrhage in his neck, similar to the injury decades earlier. But he was philosophical about his suffering. He appeared in another Aaron Spelling series, 1994’s In recent years he remained busy with voice-over work, including episodes of the animated series In 1998, Pope John Paul II named Montalban, a devout Catholic, a Knight Commander of St. Gregory, the highest honor bestowed upon non-clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. Lorenza Munoz, TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS: Los Angeles Times Ricardo Montalban - profil osoby w bazie Filmweb.pl. In 1970, Montalban organized fellow Latino actors into an organization called Nosotros (Spanish for “We”'), and became its first president. "Mexican is not a nice-sounding word, and Hollywood is at fault for this because we have been portrayed in this ungodly manner," he said. After graduating from high school, Montalban was taken to Los Angeles by his oldest brother, Carlos, who had lived there and had gotten work in the Hollywood studios.