The man who brought one of “Star Trek”‘s most memorable villains to life on the small and big-screen has passed away. Ricardo Montalban passed away today at the age of 88, according to reports.
Montalban appeared in over 166 roles over his acting career but is probably best remembered for two roles. One was as Mr. Rourke on ABC’s “Fantasy Island” and the other as James T. Kirk’s nemesis, Khan Noonian Singh in the classic “Star Trek” episode, “Space Seed” and the big-screen sequel, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
Montalban was a staple of television for decades, including appearances in “Hawaii Five-O,†“Wonder Woman†and “Murder, She Wrote,†as well as lesser voice roles in “Dora the Explorer†and “Freakazoid!†as the recurring character Armondo Guitierrez.
Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.
“He paved the way for being outspoken about the images and roles that Latinos were playing in movies,” said Luis Reyes, co-author of “Hispanics in Hollywood” (2000).
On Wednesday, actor Edward James Olmos called Montalban “one of the true giants of arts and culture.”
“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 told the Los Angeles Times.
Hmmm . . . another loss in quick succession. I’ll always remember “fine Corinthian leather” (lousy car, but memorable ad campaign) and SNL’s question regarding who is (was) more macho; Ricardo Montalban or Fernando Lamas (Ricardo, of course).
Not only the most memorable Star Trek villain, but probably the best sci-fi villain ever. The pairing of him and Shatner against each other was pure genius and magic.
Ricardo was a class act that can never be duplicated and the entertainment industry will never be able to replace him. The world is truly a lesser place without him in it.
Ricardo Montalban must have been a contender for Lady’s Man of the year at least a few times during his lifetime