Though he spent much of his time on television making dreams come true, Fantasy Island’s Ricardo Montalbán kept a level head when discussing his own hopes.

“Hollywood destroyed all my dreams and fantasies,” said the actor during an interview with the Daily News. “They were shattered when I was very young.”

As a young man, Montalbán appeared in films like Fiesta (1947) and Neptune’s Daughter (1949). But by the 1950s, Montalbán’s production company, MGM, had released the actor.

Watch Fantasy Island on MeTV!

Sundays at 4 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

Despite his new perspective, Montalbán never allowed the experience to stain his career. “I’m still an optimist,” said the actor. “I haven’t been conquered by despair. I’m simply a realist today.”

More importantly, Montalbán didn’t dwell in the past. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow and thinking maybe the big one is still ahead of me,” said the actor.

He was right to remain lighthearted. In 1977, Montalbán began playing Mr. Roarke in the television series Fantasy Island. It was a role that would make the actor a legend in the entertainment industry.

“I know it’s a series that will satisfy viewers,” said the actor. “It has all of the attributes of a good anthology - we do three stories in an hour - but it also has someone, myself, for instance, and the island for people to identify with week in and week out…It’s a series, too, that does fulfill one fantasy for me. I get a chance to work and stay at home with my wife instead of traveling all over the country playing theaters. Now if it only lasts.”