Ricardo Montalban

The Stigma of the Contract Leading Man

Ricardo Montalbán arrived in Hollywood with a chiseled jaw and a contract under his arm that tied him to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1943, the studio was desperately looking for a replacement for the Latin leading men whose box-office appeal was starting to fade. But the Mexican actor did not want to be merely an exotic ornament in low-budget musicals.

During his first years in California he made films such as Fiesta and Right to Romance. On these shoots he shared scenes with Esther Williams while MGM's marketing department worked hard to sell him as the ultimate Latin lover. The label of professional seducer would follow him through almost two decades of nonstop work.

And the system worked, despite his inner frustration.

In 1949 he starred in Right Cross under the direction of Anthony Mann. It was one of the few moments when he could show an acting toughness that film noir appreciated right away. That film broke with his image as a tanned dancer and gave him a credibility that studio executives often denied to foreign actors.

The Hidden Pain Behind the Smile

In 1951, an accident occurred that would change his life forever during the filming of Across the Wide Missouri. Montalbán was thrown from his horse and lay unconscious on the ground for several minutes. The back injury caused chronic pain that he hid from the public for the rest of his life.

But his professional pride kept him from complaining on set.

Despite constant physical suffering, he decided to found the Nosotros organization in 1970 to improve the image of Hispanics in the entertainment industry. He didn't seek charity; he demanded that roles for Latino actors stop being caricatures of bandits or nameless servants. Montalbán's union pressure helped push many studios to start hiring technicians and screenwriters of Mexican origin.

His physique remained his best working tool even when the pain became unbearable. In 1975, he starred in a series of commercials for Chrysler that became famous for his pronunciation of "Corinthian leather" upholstery. That brought him back to the forefront of American pop culture just before his great professional comeback.

Khan's Tyranny and Television Success

In 1967, he appeared in an episode of the original series Star Trek, playing Khan Noonien Singh. Nobody suspected back then that this genetically engineered villain would cast the longest shadow over his career. So when it came time to shoot Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982, the actor picked up the character with an intensity that stole every scene he was in.

Director Nicholas Meyer decided to shoot his scenes separately from those of William Shatner due to scheduling conflicts. As a result, the acting duel was purely technical and relied on the power of Montalbán's voice. His muscular chest on screen sparked rumors that it was prosthetic, although the costume team confirmed it was his own physique at age 61.

It was a winning bet.

Meanwhile, television gave him complete financial stability thanks to Fantasy Island. Between 1977 and 1984 he wore the impeccable white suit of Mr. Roarke, a role that demanded more restraint than physical effort. The series stayed on the air for seven seasons and generated millions in profits for the ABC network.

In 1993, he underwent nine hours of spinal surgery that left him with very limited mobility. His last roles were limited to animated voice work and brief appearances in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids franchise. In 2003, he took part in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, playing Grandpa Valentin from a motorized wheelchair.

Ricardo Montalbán died at his home in Los Angeles on January 14, 2009 from complications of congestive heart failure at age 88. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City alongside his wife, Georgiana Young. The theater he founded on Vine Street still operates under his name with a capacity of 1,140 seats.