From ‘Star Trek’ to “Fantasy Island’ and Beyond Ricardo Montalban Made His Mark in Hollywood

Ricardo Montalban, who died at 88 on June 14, 2009, made his mark in Hollywood with two indelible roles: the mysterious Mr. Roarke on TV’s Fantasy Island, and on both the small and big screen adaptations of the original Star Trek franchise, in which he played the diabolical Kahn

Before Ricardo Montalban’s success on Star Trek and became, he made headway in Tinseltown in countless feature films. A groundbreaking performer across the board, Montalban became one of the most popular Latin actors of his era and beyond.

According to IMDb.com, Ricardo Montalban at one point in his career became “frustrated at Hollywood’s portrayal of Mexicans.” Consequently, the actor helped to found the image-building ‘Nosotros organization, a Los Angeles theatre-based company designed for Latinos working in Hollywood.

In 2004, Nosotros and the Montalban Foundation eventually purchased the historic Doolittle Theater in Hollywood and rechristened the facility in his honor.

With 1200 seats, the Doolittle became the first major theater in America to carry the name of a Latino performing artist.

In 1980, with the help of writer Bob Thomas, Ricardo Montalban published his memoir: Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds, a book assuredly cherished by his countless fans of every culture from around the globe.

[Note: This article is based on accredited news and media reports, including linked information attributed to IMDb.com and People Magazine.com.]