Ricardo Montalban

Handsome, erudite and blessed with an exceptionally rich, sonorous voice, Ricardo Montalbán made the transition from supporting character actor to lead player with a pair of iconic roles, as diverse as they were memorable. Working within the studio system of the 1940s and '50s, the Latino actor was initially cast as whatever ethnicity was needed for a role, most often as a Latin Lover in films like "Fiesta" (1947), but also as a Native-American in "Across the Wide Missouri" (1951) or an Asian, as in "Sayonara" (1957). A Tony-nominated turn on Broadway opposite Lena Horne in the 1957 production of "Jamaica" earned him the respect of his peers, although not the leading roles he sought. Montalbán kept busy with dozens of guest turns throughout the 1960s on such programs as "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (NBC, 1964-68), "The Wild, Wild West" (CBS, 1965-69) and most memorably, in an episode of "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69). At last, the veteran actor became a household name as the enigmatic Mr. Roarke, host of "Fantasy Island" (ABC, 1977-1984), then eclipsed that fame with his reprisal of Captain Kirk's titular nemesis in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982). He continued to work ceaselessly on various TV shows and films, even performing from a wheelchair in "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams" (2002), after being paralyzed from the waist down. Remembered as a man of integrity and perseverance, Montalbán earned the loyalty of his contemporaries, as well as generations of fans.