Is Ricardo Montalbán Living or Dead?

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Is actor Ricardo Montalbán dead? Or ... still alive?

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By Euler Leaks

Updated 18 March 2023

Image info

Artist	ABC Television
Credit	eBay item photo front photo back
License	pd
Desc	Photo of Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke and Herve Villechaize as Tattoo from the made for television movie Return to Fantasy Island. The made for television films preceded the television series with both actors in the same respective roles.
Usage	Public domain

Image info/credit

actor

Ricardo Montalbán is ...

Dead

Born	25 November 1920 in Torreón
Died	14 January 2009 in Los Angeles
Age	88 years, 2 months
Cause	heart failure

Sex or gender	male
Country of citizenship	Mexico
Manner of death	natural causes
Sibling	Carlos Montalbán
Spouse	Georgiana Belzer
Occupation	television actor, film actor, character actor and stage actor
Nominated for	Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
Awards	Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, Emmy Award, Knight in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award

About Ricardo Montalbán

Ricardo Montalbán was a suave and sophisticated actor who graced both the big and small screens for over six decades. Born in Mexico City in 1920, Montalbán began his acting career in his home country before moving to Hollywood in the 1940s.

Montalbán quickly made a name for himself in Tinseltown, starring in films such as "On an Island with You" and "Two Weeks with Love." He also appeared in several popular television shows, including "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Hawaii Five-O."

However, Montalbán is perhaps best known for his role as Khan Noonien Singh in the "Star Trek" franchise. He first played the iconic villain in the original series episode "Space Seed" before reprising the role in the film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

Montalbán's career spanned several decades, and he continued to act well into his 80s. He also lent his voice to several animated films, including "The Ant Bully" and "Family Guy."

Off-screen, Montalbán was known for his philanthropic work, particularly his efforts to improve opportunities for Latino actors in Hollywood. He also founded the Ricardo Montalbán Foundation, which supports the arts and education.

Montalbán passed away in 2009 at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on. He was a talented actor, a tireless advocate for his community, and a true Hollywood icon.

References:

- "Ricardo Montalbán." IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm0001541/.

- "Ricardo Montalbán." Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/actor/ricardo-montalban.

About Death

On January 14, 2009, Montalbán died at his home in Los Angeles at age 88. According to his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith, he died of "complications from advancing age". The precise cause of death was later revealed to be congestive heart failure. He is buried next to Georgiana Young, his wife of 63 years, who preceded him in death, at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.

Films - which cast members have died?

Ricardo Montalbán has been a part of these films.

Click to see which cast and crew are living and dead!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

1982 American science fiction film

Pixels

2015 American 3D science fiction comedy film

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

1972 science fiction film

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

2003 film by Robert Rodriguez

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams

2002 film by Robert Rodriguez

Battleground

1949 American war film

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

1988 film by David Zucker

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

1971 science fiction film from the Planet of the Apes franchise

Sayonara

1957 film by Joshua Logan

Cannonball Run II

1984 film by Hal Needham

Cheyenne Autumn

1964 film by John Ford

Fiesta

1947 film by Richard Thorpe

Neptune's Daughter

1950 film by Edward Buzzell

The Money Trap

1966 film by Burt Kennedy

Across the Wide Missouri

1951 film by William A. Wellman

Sweet Charity

1969 film by Bob Fosse

The Deserter

1971 film by Burt Kennedy

On an Island with You

1948 film by Richard Thorpe

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood

1976 film by Michael Winner

Mystery Street

1950 film by John Sturges

Two Weeks with Love

1950 film by Roy Rowland

Love Is a Ball

1963 film by David Swift

Blue

1968 film by Silvio Narizzano

The Reluctant Saint

1962 film by Edward Dmytryk

Border Incident

1949 film by Anthony Mann

Right Cross

1950 film by John Sturges

The Train Robbers

1973 film by Burt Kennedy

The Singing Nun

1966 film by Henry Koster

My Man and I

1952 American film by William A. Wellman

Madame X

1966 American drama film

Latin Lovers

1953 film by Mervyn LeRoy

Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man

1962 film by Martin Ritt

Sol Madrid

1968 film by Brian G. Hutton

Sentinels of Silence

The Kissing Bandit

1948 film by László Benedek

La fuga

1944 film by Norman Foster

The Mark of the Renegade

1951 film by Hugo Fregonese

The Warrior and the Slave Girl

1958 film by Vittorio Cottafavi

Desert Warrior

1957 film by Goffredo Alessandrini, Fernando Cerchio, León Klimovsky

Sombrero

1953 film by Norman Foster

A Life in the Balance

1955 film by Harry Horner

Let No Man Write My Epitaph

1960 film by Philip Leacock

Queen of Babylon

1954 film by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia

Rage of the Buccaneers

1961 film by Mario Costa

The Hour of Truth

1945 film by Norman Foster

Television - which cast members have died?

Ricardo Montalbán has been a part of these shows.

Click to see which cast and crew are living and dead!

Family Guy

American adult animated sitcom

Star Trek: The Original Series

American science fiction television series

American Dad!

American animated comedic sitcom

Kim Possible

American animated television series

Dynasty

1980s American prime time television soap opera

Gunsmoke

American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston.

Bonanza

1959-1973 American western/cowboy television series

Mission: Impossible

television series

The Wild Wild West

television series

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

1960s American television series

Columbo

American detective television film series

Death Valley Days

television series

Wagon Train

television program

Murder, She Wrote

American television series

Hawaii Five-O

1968 American TV series

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

television series based on Toy Story

Freakazoid!

television series

Wonder Woman

television series

The Virginian

television series

Chicago Hope

television series

Dora the Explorer

American animated television series

I Spy

television series

The Untouchables

1959 American TV series

Adventures in Paradise

television series

The Colbys

Riverboat

The Golden Palace

television program

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

American television anthology series

Ben Casey

television series

Titans

TV series

The High Chaparral

television series

Marcus Welby

television series

General Electric Theater

How the West Was Won

American western television series

Dream On

American sitcom

The Defenders

television series

Police Story

B.L. Stryker

American detective drama that aired on ABC in 1989-1990

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show