Mr. Roarke Said There'd Be Days Like This: Part II

When I say "days like this" I mean his BIRTHDAY! Congrats and many happy wishes to Mr. Roarke himself who left such an indelible mark on me. Fantasy Island could be funny, sad, amusing and pretty damn scary.

Ricardo Montalban was born on November 25th, 1920 in Mexico. It was inevitable that his good looks and beautiful voice would lead him to acting and in 1958 he was nominated for a Tony for his Broadway performance in Jamaica.

So handsome... and talented....and cool!

In the 50s, Montalban was one of the only working actors who was Hispanic and often played Asian characters! That is probably what inspired him to start a non-profit organization called Nosotros in 1970 (the word means "us" or "we"). The goal of Nosotros is to help Hispanics forward their career in films and television.

That's totally noble and all, but it was his role on the Aaron Spelling show Fantasy Island that really put him on map (for me anyway). His charm was undeniable and the chemistry he shared with Herve Villechaize was unforgettable.

One of my favorite episodes is called The Devil & Mandy Breem/The Millionaire. This one features Mr. Roarke going toe to toe with Satan (Roddy McDowell) and does not disappoint!

Welcome!

Of course, Montalban is also famous for his portrayal of Kahn in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn and later as the Grandfather in Spy Kids, but I'm sorry, Mr. Roarke just trumps them all! Montalban continues to work to this day. His last project was in 2008. He supplied one of the voices on a Family Guy episode titled The Cow.

Montalban has stayed true to his roots and remains a Mexican citizen.

Happy 88th birthday, Ricardo! And here's to many more!

Could there be two hotter people?