Ricardo Montalban
Biography
Ricardo Montalbán was an actor in film and television who was Mexican and American. His career spanned seven decades and moved between crime, drama, musicals, and comedy. Born in 1920 and raised in Torreón, Mexico, he began on the New York stage with a minor role in Her Cardboard Lover in 1940, then returned to Mexico to act in Spanish-language films and become a star there. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed him after Fiesta (1947), and his first leading role came in the film noir Border Incident (1949). He later became widely known as Khan Noonien Singh, a part he originated on Star Trek and reprised in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and as Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island from 1977 to 1984. He won an Emmy for How the West Was Won and a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, and appeared in the Spy Kids films and The Ant Bully.
88years old at death
- Born Torreón
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
- Also credited as Ricardo Montalvan
Movie Career
- Films
- 24
- Career span
- 57 years1949 to 2006
First and latest
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A first
On November 21, 1949, Montalban became the first Hispanic actor featured on the cover of Life magazine. He said he felt like a king for a week, expecting offers to pour in, but none came.
Beyond film
Montalbán starred on Broadway in the musical Jamaica from 1957 to 1959 opposite Lena Horne, singing calypso numbers; the show ran 558 performances and earned him a Tony Award nomination.
Big break
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast Montalban as a bullfighter opposite Esther Williams in Fiesta (1947), which was shot in Mexico. The movie was very popular, and the studio signed him to a long-term contract.
First role
Montalbán moved to New York City in 1940, where he got a small part in the play Her Cardboard Lover.
First role
Montalbán played the lead in the 1941 Soundies short He's a Latin from Staten Island, billed simply as "Ricardo," as a guitar-strumming gigolo with an offscreen vocal by Gus Van.
Ricardo Montalban movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!1988 Comedy, Crimeas Vincent Ludwig
IMDb rating 7.6226K votes
Most often with
Robert Rodriguez directed two of these films, William A. Wellman two and Burt Kennedy two. 22 actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Danny Trejo's page
Antonio Banderas's page
Roddy McDowall's page
Cheech Marin's page
Alan Cumming's page
Edward G. Robinson's page
All films by Robert Rodriguez
All films by William A. Wellman
Burt KennedyDirector, 2 films, 1965 to 1973
All films by Burt Kennedy
Also two films together16 more actors
- Carla GuginoSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Douglas FowleyAcross the Wide Missouri (1951) and Battleground (1949)
- Karl MaldenBlue (1968) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
- Alexa PenaVegaSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Arthur KennedyCheyenne Autumn (1964) and Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
- Mike MazurkiCheyenne Autumn (1964) and Neptune's Daughter (1949)
- Holland TaylorSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Matt O'LearySpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Marshall ThompsonMystery Street (1950) and Battleground (1949)
- Daryl SabaraSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Keir DulleaBlack Water Gold (1970) and Madame X (1966)
- Emily OsmentSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- George MurphyBattleground (1949) and Border Incident (1949)
- John HodiakAcross the Wide Missouri (1951) and Battleground (1949)
- Mike JudgeSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Natalie TrundyBehind the Planet of the Apes (1998) and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Ricardo Montalban's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$653 million
9 of the 24 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 24 films: 9 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 9 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 4Never in cinemas
- 9Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$197M30.2% of the total
- 2$152M23.3% of the total
- 3$120M18.3% of the total
- 4$97M14.8% of the total
- 5$55M8.4% of the total
- 6$20M3.1% of the total
- 7$9.7M1.5% of the total
- 8$2.6M0.4% of the total
$10,980from the other 1 film with a worldwide figure, 0% of the total
Awards
Six awards and honors, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| Emmy Award | Won | ||
| SAG Awards | |||
| Life Achievement Award | Won | ||
| Other honors | |||
| Knight in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre | Won | ||
| Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great | Won | ||
| Order of St. Gregory the Great | Won | ||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.