14 Facts About Santos Ortega

Santos Edward Ortega was an American actor and comedian.

Santos Ortega was best known for playing Will Hughes in As the World Turns, taking over from Will Lee, who had played the role from the first episode on April 2,1956, to May 31,1956.

Santos Ortega initially had aspirations of joining the priesthood and studied briefly at the St Joseph's Seminary of the De La Salle Christian Brothers in Pocantico Hills, New York, but changed his mind after landing a series of small acting roles in a series of Broadway productions.

Santos Ortega first worked in radio in comedy, appearing on a variety show, Blackstone Plantation, where he played a character named Don Rodrigo.

Santos Ortega later said that he was hired for the role after a casting director hired the young unknown based on seeing Santos Ortega's name, assuming that he would be perfect for the role.

Santos Ortega came to learn that if he convincingly mastered a Spanish dialect, more work would come his way, and it did.

Santos Ortega served as straight man for the duo of Frank Crumit and Julius Sanderson.

Santos Ortega played the title role in Bulldog Drummond and was heard in the daytime radio serials Valiant Lady, Perry Mason, 1948's Roger Kilgore, Public Defender, and as the title character in The Adventures of Charlie Chan, The Affairs of Peter Salem from 1949 to 1953, and Hannibal Cobb.

Santos Ortega originated the radio role of Inspector Queen on The Adventures of Ellery Queen.

Santos Ortega played character roles in two films during the 1950s: The Family Secret and Crowded Paradise.

Santos Ortega married Evelyn Fairbank in 1926, but the couple had no children and later divorced.

Santos Ortega later married Cynthia Beckett, 20 years his junior, when he was around 50 years old.

Santos Ortega was a lifelong tobacco user who often smoked cigars during his radio shows.

Santos Ortega died on April 10,1976, in Broward General Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while he was visiting in that area.