Was Ricardo Montalban really the right actor to play Khan?

[Captain Al]

First off, of course, I love TWOK. And I have always thought of Khan (both in Space Seed and TWOK) as a great villain.

But Khan is supposed to be of Indian descent, isn't he? So, shouldn't he have dark skin and some sort of Indian-ish accent? (Not so much like Apu from the Simpsons, but maybe similar.) He would have been from the Far East, not western Europe.

Ricardo Montalban is quite obviously European and speaks with a Spanish accent. And Khan kind of has that Spanish accent, although technically he's Mexican. I remember when I used to watch Fantasy Island and equated the swarthy look and Spanish accent with Mr. Roarke, and I suppose I've never been able to shake that.

What I'm trying to say is that I wonder why Montalban was chosen to play a character who was of Indian descent for Space Seed. Granted, they did darken his face, and he did have jet-black hair, but he still sounded Spanish. Just like he did in TWOK.

Has this ever "bothered" anyone else?

 

[cardinal biggles]

It's never really bothered me, any more than Charlton Heston playing a Mexican in Orson Welles' Touch of Evil. (Yet, oddly enough, white men playing Othello — the reverse-color production starring Patrick Stewart and an all-black cast notwithstanding — always has bothered me, even when they're as good as Olivier.)

They certainly couldn't get away with it nowadays; an actor of Indian or Middle Eastern descent would certainly be cast if they were to include Khan as a character in the next movie. But I don't let it detract from what was one of the most memorable performances in all of Star Trek.

 

[Shatmandu]

Has this ever "bothered" anyone else?

Nope. Because I realize these are Star Trek episodes, not text books.

Joe, easy reader

 

[seigezunt]

I've never been bothered by the dicey ethnicity, because he was so damned entertaining.

 

[Ziz]

Space Seed was also made in 1967. There probably weren't that many Indian actors available then, and of the few that were, maybe none were good enough to win the role. TWOK was just a matter of the original actor reprising his role, which is always good for fan recognition and advertising.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Montalban was a well-regarded actor in quite some demand for television roles in those days - he made at least three dozen guest appearences on the networks in 1966 and 1967. I'm sure they were glad to have him on that basis alone.

It's never really bothered me, any more than Charlton Heston playing a Mexican in Orson Welles' Touch of Evil.

Heston bothered me. Worst Mexican evah.

 

[Christopher]

Like many Latino/a actors in the '60s, Montalban was often cast as various ethnic types, often playing American Indians. He played a Japanese character in the film Sayonara. It was a pretty common practice back then.

And sure, the accent is a bit incongruous, but is it any more so than an Arab, Julian Bashir, speaking with a British accent? Or for that matter, a Frenchman named Picard speaking with a British accent? Maybe Khan was educated in Spain or Mexico before becoming a prince in India.

What's really incongruous is claiming Khan is a Sikh even though he has no beard, relatively short hair, and none of the other accoutrements of a Sikh. Not to mention that "Noonien" is not a Sikh, Indian, or any name as far as I can determine; I haven't been able to find any uses of the name online other than the two ST characters and various Internet usernames which are probably based on the ST characters. The closest thing I've been able to find is "Nunia," which is an Indian surname, place name, or feminine given name.

 

[Mr.Borg]

I wonder what would happen if Jack Sparrow (I know it's not his real name) plays Khan...hmm.

 

[Sector 7]

The muddled ethnicity never bothered me. <sings-- It's a Small World After All....> Besides, most people of Indian descent speak with British accents anyway, due to that umm... occupation problem?!

 

[Christopher]

^Well, they speak English with British accents, because that's how they learn it.

 

[Sector 7]

^Well, they speak English with British accents, because that's how they learn it.

That was my point.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, but they don't speak their own languages (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, etc.) with British accents. So saying "They speak with British accents" is too broad a statement.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

I've never been bothered by the dicey ethnicity, because he was so damned entertaining.

And there were probably no Indo-American actors who fit the role other than possibly the stereo-types

 

[Broccoli]

Montalban was all wrong for the role. They should have gotten Richard Simmons.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Montalban was all wrong for the role. They should have gotten Richard Simmons.

"You - I know you! I never forget a set of thighs!"

 

[Islander]

But Khan is supposed to be of Indian descent, isn't he? So, shouldn't he have dark skin and some sort of Indian-ish accent?

- I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet... buried alive! Buried alive...! Thank you, come again.

- No... You can't get away... From hell's heart I stab at thee... For hate's sake... I spit my last breath at thee! Silly customer, you cannot hurt a Twinkie!

Hmmm... Nah!

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Well, he was a product of genetic engineering... so maybe his ancestry was seriously muddled.

 

[Gorn Captain]

By this rationale, Patrick Stewart never should have played Jean Luc Picard. Stewart's Stratford upon Avon accent is obviously not French.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

But Khan is supposed to be of Indian descent, isn't he? So, shouldn't he have dark skin and some sort of Indian-ish accent?

- I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet... buried alive! Buried alive...! Thank you, come again.

- No... You can't get away... From hell's heart I stab at thee... For hate's sake... I spit my last breath at thee! Silly customer, you cannot hurt a Twinkie!

Hmmm... Nah!

ROFLMFAO

 

[ManaByte]

What about John Wayne as Gengis Khan?