Getting the acting bug

Ricardo Montalban was born in Mexico City in 1920. His parents were Spaniards who had moved there just prior to his birth to run a prominent department store, and Ricardo's upbringing was rather comfortable. But everything changed when he was sent to attend high school in California, where his older brother Carlos lived and worked as a beer importer.

The young Ricardo barely spoke a word of English, so he took extra classes with one of the teachers - who also happened to run drama lessons at the school. It was this teacher who changed his life by casting him in a number of plays. Ricardo, who had until then wanted to be an architect, immediately fell in love with performing - realising it was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

A Mexican in America

Ricardo was actually offered his first major screen test while still at school, when a talent scout from MGM caught one of his performances. But his brother Carlos, persuaded him to turn MGM down and concentrate on his education. Ricardo did as he was told - for a while. He couldn't shake off the acting bug, though, and eventually moved to New York to gain more stage experience.

His reputation grew and he was soon offered another screen test by MGM - this time for an adaptation of John Steinbeck's Mexican-themed novel Tortilla Flat. The studio promised to cast Mexican actors in the Mexican roles, but chickened out in the last minute - choosing to cast established white American stars instead. Montalban was bitterly disappointed, realising for the first time that his ethnicity could be a barrier to achieving film success.

The first Ricky Martin

After this near-miss with Hollywood, Montalban decided to return to Mexico and start afresh. It was good timing on his part - the year was 1942 and Mexico's homegrown film industry was flourishing. There were plenty of opportunities for a young actor as handsome and talented as Ricardo, and before long he was climbing the ladder from bit-part to supporting player to matinee idol.

Thanks to his exposure in Mexico, MGM noticed him yet again. And this time it was for keeps, with Ricardo snapped up by an MGM producer for a number of films. They actually suggested he change his name to Ricky Martin to appeal to US audiences, but thankfully this didn't come to pass. And Montalban's name certainly didn't hinder his progress - by 1949 he was on the cover of Life magazine under the headline "Hollywood's New Romantic Lead"!

Khaaaaaaan!

While he starred in many films and TV shows during his long career, it's certain that Montalban will be best remembered for two iconic roles: Mr Roarke in Fantasy Island, and Captain Kirk's smoothly seductive nemesis in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Fans often cite this one as the greatest Trek movie of all, in no small part due to Montalban's unforgettable performance as Khan (or "Khaaaaaaaaaaaan!" as Kirk roared in what could be the most famous, and parodied, scene in Trek history). The performance led to a curious, inexplicably popular urban rumour circulating that Montalban wore flesh-coloured prosthetics on his chest to make himself look "buff". Since then, everyone from the director to Leonard "Spock" Nimoy have come out and said it was nonsense. Despite being in his 60s at the time, Ricardo just was that athletic.

Ricardo the trooper

He may be getting on in years, but Ricardo Montalban is still acting - a feat that's doubly impressive given the medical problem that's plagued him since way back in the 1950s.

While making the 1951 Western film Across the Wide Missouri (with co-star Clark Gable), Montalban was accidentally thrown off his horse and walked on by another horse. Somehow he wasn't killed, but sustained a long-term back injury which unfortunately became even worse after he finally had surgery to resolve it in 1993. He's been in a wheelchair ever since the operation, but it hasn't stopped him remaining active in showbiz - starring as the grandfather in the Spy Kids films, providing voiceovers for cartoons and spearheading Nosotros, an organisation he founded to improve opportunities for Latinos in the entertainment industry. Not bad for a man pushing 90.

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