7DAYS´INTERVIEW: Ricardo Montez

A talented Gibraltarian

By Sonia Golt

Ricardo Montez started acting at the age of 17 and is still offered important secondary parts at the age of 86, but his real name is Levy Attias who was born in 1924. Levy chose the name Ricardo as it would attract more attention in the film industry, but due to its Spanish origin he was given the part of a Spanish bartender by the name of Juan Cervantes in the ever popular British Comedy television series "Mind your Language" - this was a real breakthrough for him. Early in the series Juan speaks almost no English, and answers everything with "por favor" but as the series continuous his English improves. It was funny and amazing to see a totally bilingual Ricardo put on this incredible foreign accent when he spoke English. Although born in England he was brought up in Gibraltar and at every opportunity and every interview he always said he was from Gibraltar. During the Franco regime this got him into arguments and trouble in his younger days, but he has always wanted and felt he could promote Gibraltar in this way and he felt proud to be from the Rock.

The series "Mind your Language" premiered on ITV in late 1977. Three series were made from 1977 to 1979 and the show was briefly revived in 1986 with some of the original cast. Due to his popularity he left to live in England in 1964 and he over the years he made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Although he has spent all these years living in Richmond, London, now with his wife Orita and having had a daughter Clara and now a grand daughter he has visited Gibraltar very frequently during the years not losing touch with his friends and family here and his home town.

His first film was in Pirated of Blood River in 1962. It was a Hammer Film Production with Kerwin Mathews who is captured by pirates and led by Capt. LaRoche played by Christopher Lee who force him to lead them back to his home village to retrieve a treasure supposedly hidden there.

His appearances in the ever popular TV series of the 60's, The Avengers and "The Saint" kept him working in the film and TV industry as they were very popular episodes that lasted for many years. The Avengers was a 1960s British Television series conceived in the world of spies and set in cold war Britain. The main character was named John Steed who partnered with various women, working as government agents for the 'Ministry'. It was aired from 1961 to 1969; the longest continuously running espionage series of the time and it was syndicated in more than 90 countries. The same success happened with the series The Saint portrayed by Roger Moore, another long-running mystery/spy series, which aired simultaneously from 1962 to 1969. It was centred on the literary character Simon Templar. It was after these two long running TV series that Ricardo was offered the funny part that took him to fame and to being in the business now for over 69 years and till going strong.

He has played many parts, done an incredible amount of television commercials and done smaller parts in films in Hollywood with well known actors and actresses who respect him and love having him on their sets.

I met Ricardo recently on one of his many visits to Gibraltar. It is a delight to listen to his stories of old, he told me anecdotes of past days and it is quite incredible he has such a good memory as to learn his parts in record time, even to this day. He was a very good looking man in his prime and he still has that aura of grandeur even though he is well past 80, his charismatic personality has undoubtedly helped him along the way to get into the producers good books. He talks about his life but without any pretentiousness about it although it has been such a full life and so dedicated to the profession he chose. His wife watched on as he spoke about his experiences in the world of movies and she an extremely beautiful lady has never felt jealous of his work or his contact with so many leading ladies, she has aplomb and has taken it all in her stride and has supported him through thick and thin which is why they look so happy together as a couple still!

Tell us some anecdotes? There must be many!
"When I was filming in Mallorca once with a young and still not too well known Pearce Bronson, I was sitting with him and people did not stop coming up to ME for autographs, recently on the set of Mama Mia, I reminded Pearce of this moment and it was funny to think that at one time he had been disregarded and I was being asked for autographs while this time round it was the opposite."

There have been many other parts and many other places he has filmed in but he has really enjoyed taking part in Mamma Mia! It was filmed in Skiathos and Skopelos in Greece, with beach scenes at Laguna Beach in California USA, and the dance sequences mostly at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire England.

"At my age it was not easy to spend a whole day dancing and learning the sequences, it was great exercise but hard too and after all the work most of these sequences where not used for the film."

How did you get on with the others in the crew?
"I have a great rapport with Meryl Streep, she is totally down to earth and a lovely person, I also found that and the younger actresses in the film, possibly due to my age, I was like their grandfather, felt compelled to help me and bring over cups of tea for me without me having to even ask, I felt so pampered! With the leading ladies I also spent a lot of time chatting under canapés in the film breaks because it was very hot in Greece. Every morning Meryl would walk up to me and say "Hello Ricardo" and give me two kisses on each cheek - what a way to start the day!"

This fantastic romantic comedy was adapted to the big screen from the 1999 West End Musical and based on the songs by the pop Group ABBA from where the title originated, the 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia" - The versatile actress Meryl Streep headed the cast, playing the role of single mother Donna Sheridan together with Pearce Bronson, Colin Firth, who this year was named Best Actor at the BAFTA Awards for his role in "A single man" and Stella Skarsgard the three playing the roles of the possible father to Donna's daughter.

"Yes I am glad to say that "Mama Mia" has become the highest-grossing film of all time in the United Kingdom and over 30 million DVD's have been sold since it was released."

Ricardo is now in Malta to film two television commercials to promote Olive Oil. "My manager in London still believes in me and I am not ready yet to retire, retire from what? a life of fun? What would I do then, I would be bored! - Still I do hope that I will be able to come back to Gibraltar for longer periods of time to spend more time here with my family, but we shall see, it all depends on where or when I am needed next."

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