people & places
interviewed by Sonia Golt
Ricardo in Mamma Mia
Interviewer Sonia Golt poses for a picture with Gibraltarian actor Ricardo Montez, famous for his role as Spaniard Juan Cervantes in the hit TV programme Mind Your Language
mind your language...
(interview with Ricardo Montez in progress) If we mention well-known actor Ricardo Montez, who started acting at the age of 17 and is still offered important secondary parts at the age of 86, how many of you would know we are talking about a Gibraltarian by the name of Levy Attias? Ricardo chose his stage name to attract attention within the film industry but because of its Spanish sound he was given his major breakthrough as a Spanish bartender, Juan Cervantes, in the popular British comedy television series Mind Your Language. You might be old enough to remember that the bartender Ricardo played had an optimistic streak, always laughing at himself, confident of his answers even when they were completely wrong. Early in the series Juan spoke almost
72
no English, and answered everything with “por favor” but as the series continuous his English improves. To those of us who know him, it was funny to see the bilingual Ricardo put on an incredible foreign accent when he
spoke English! Three series of Mind your Language were made for ITV from 1977 to 1979 and the show was briefly revived in 1986 with some of the original cast. I met Ricardo recently on one of his many visits to Gibraltar and spent a long time chatting to him as he has so much to tell. Although born in England in 1924, Ricardo was brought up in Gibraltar and at every opportunity and in every interview he always says he is from Gibraltar. During the Franco regime this got him into trouble, but he always sought to promote Gibraltar and felt proud to be from the Rock. Ricardo left Gibraltar to live in Richmond, London, in 1964 to further his career and over the years he made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He and his wife Orita have one daughter Clara and a grand daughter. Despite so many years in the UK he visits Gibraltar frequently and has not lost touch with his friends and family here. His first film was Pirates of Blood River (1962), a Hammer Film Production with Kerwin Mathews who is captured by pirates, led by Capt. LaRoche (Christopher Lee). But it was Ricardo’s appearances in the popular long-running TV series of the ’60s, The Avengers and The Saint, which kept him working in the industry. In fact, The Avengers (1961-1969), set in cold war Britain, was the longest continuously running espionage series of the time and it was syndicated in more than 90 countries. The Saint, centred on the character Simon Templar (Roger Moore), enjoyed similar success and aired simultaneously (1962-1969). It was after these two long running TV series that Ricardo was offered the comedy part which took him to fame. However, he has played many parts, done an huge number of TV commercials and played smaller parts in films in Hollywood with well-known actors and actresses who respect him and claim to love having him on their sets. A very attractive man in his prime, he still has charisma even though he is an octogenarian. “When I was filming in Mallorca once with a young and still not too well known Pearce Bronson,” Ricardo remembers, “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 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.” Of all the many parts and places he has filmed, he has really enjoyed taking the part of Stannos in Mamma Mia! It was filmed in Skiathos and Skopelos in Greece in 2008, with beach scenes at Laguna Beach in California, USA, and the
to those of us who know him, it was funny to see the bilingual Ricardo put on an incredible foreign accent when he spoke English GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MAY 2010