Ricardo Montalban dies at 88
By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 14, 1:23 PM PST
http://tv.yahoo.com/fantasy-island/...l:tv.ap.org:20090114:obit_montalban__ER:77030
Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday morning at his home, a city councilman said. He was 88.
Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.
"The Ricardo Montalban Theatre in my Council District -- where the next generations of performers participate in plays, musicals, and concerts -- stands as a fitting tribute to this consummate performer," Garcetti said later in a written statement.
<snip> In a 1978 interview, he analyzed the series' success:"What is appealing is the idea of attaining the unattainable and learning from it. Once you obtain a fantasy it becomes a reality, and that reality is not as exciting as your fantasy. Through the fantasies you learn to appreciate your own realities."
I remember him best as Khan Noonien Singh and as Armando the Circus Owner in two of the Planet Of The Apes sequels.
A fine actor and he'll be well remembered.
RIP Khan.
:asian: