Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban, a Mexican-born actor who starred in MGM films, and later in ABC's Fantasy Island, has died.

He was 88, and no cause of death was released, the Associated Press reports.

Montalban arrived in the U.S. in 1946, making a transition from Mexican cinema to Hollywood. His first stateside role was in Fiesta, opposite Esther Williams. He appeared with her again in On an Island with You in 1948 and Neptune's Daughter a year later.

It was in 1978, however, when Montalban became known as Island's magnanimous Mr. Rourke... read more 25 Comments

Question: Is Ricardo Montalban the one who calls Grissom and Sara on their feelings?

Answer: As I said before, it's no one of any significance…. Oh, I see what you're doing there. Fantasy Island, fantasy fulfillment. Good one.

Question: Sir, could you please tell me who the main stars were on Wagon Train? Thank you.

Answer: Thanks for the respect, Teri (I get so little), but as the old boot-camp admonishment goes, don't call me "sir" — I work for a living!

There are a few answers to that question, the first being the cast list (which I'll run down in a moment) and the second being a list of guest stars, since episodes revolved around one-shot characters who came and went. But any fan of the show would whittle it down to one actor: the opinionated, tough-as-leather Ward Bond.

In the series, which ran on NBC from 1957-62 before jumping to ABC and finishing out its run there in 1965, Bond played Major Seth Adams, who led the train each season from St. Louis to California with assistant wagon master Bill Hawks (Terry Wilson) and cook Charlie Wooster (Frank McGrath) by h read more