Randolph Mantooth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Randolph Mantooth
Mantooth in 2014
Born	Randy DeRoy Mantooth (1945-09-19) September 19, 1945 (age 79) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Education	San Marcos High School
Alma mater	Santa Barbara City College American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation	Actor writer speaker
Years active	1960s–present
Known for	Emergency! Loving Operation Petticoat
Spouse(s)	Rose Parra ​ (m. 1978⁠–⁠1991)​ Kristen Connors ​ (m. 2002)​
Relatives	Tonya Mantooth (sister) Donald Mantooth (brother)

Cast of TV's Emergency! (1973), L-R: Kevin Tighe, Robert Fuller, Julie London, Bobby Troup and Randolph Mantooth

Randolph Mantooth (born Randy DeRoy Mantooth on September 19, 1945) is an American actor. He has worked in television, movies, and theater for over 50 years. He is best known for playing paramedic John Gage in the 1970s TV show Emergency!.

Mantooth graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A talent agent found him in New York while he was acting in a play. He then signed with Universal Studios and moved to California. He started his career with roles in TV shows like Adam-12, Marcus Welby, M.D., and McCloud.

Besides acting, Randolph Mantooth often speaks at Firefighter and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) events. He is a spokesperson for firefighter health and safety. He has received many awards for his work.

About Randolph Mantooth

Randolph Mantooth was born in Sacramento, California, in 1945. He was the oldest of four children. His father, Donald "Buck" Mantooth, was Seminole.

Mantooth went to San Marcos High School. He enjoyed acting in school plays there. After studying at Santa Barbara City College, he got a scholarship. This scholarship was for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. While there, he changed his first name from "Randy" to "Randolph."

He won an award for Best Actor for his role in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come. This award was called the Charles Jehlenger Award. Before becoming famous, he worked as an elevator operator and a page at NBC Studios. His very first job was delivering newspapers.

In 2015, Mantooth shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He completed his treatment and was recovering well.

His Acting Career

Early Roles in the 1970s

A talent agent from Universal Studios discovered Randolph Mantooth. This happened in New York City when he was starring in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come. After signing with Universal, he moved back to California. He slowly built his acting career. He appeared in TV shows like Adam-12 and Marcus Welby, M.D..

This led to his big role in the popular TV series Emergency! in 1972. The show aired on NBC for six seasons. He also had roles in other series. He played Lt. Mike Bender on Operation Petticoat. He was also Eddie Dawkins on Detective School. Mantooth was a guest star on many shows. These included The Love Boat and Battlestar Galactica.

Starring in Emergency! (1972–1979)

Producer Robert A. Cinader saw Randolph Mantooth in a small TV role. This led Cinader to choose him for the part of paramedic John Gage on Emergency!. Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe played a paramedic team. They worked for Squad 51 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Their characters responded to accidents and dangerous rescues. They used an "emergency room on wheels." Doctors at a hospital would guide them using a special radio. The paramedics would help injured or sick patients. They worked to stabilize them before taking them to the hospital.

To prepare for their roles, Mantooth and Tighe attended paramedic classes. They also rode along with real firefighters. Mantooth said the producer wanted them to learn the basics. This helped them look like they knew what they were doing on TV. He also said that only trained paramedics can truly help in an emergency.

When Emergency! first aired in 1972, there were only 12 paramedic units in North America. Ten years later, most Americans were close to a paramedic unit. This was largely because of the show's influence. The program taught people about emergency medical care. It also taught about fire prevention and CPR.

The show ran for six seasons and had 129 episodes. There were also seven two-hour TV movie specials. These included the pilot film, The Wedsworth-Townsend Act. About 30 million people watched the show every week. Mantooth even directed two episodes of Emergency!. He also directed the TV movie Greatest Rescues of Emergency.

In the early years, Mantooth and Tighe did many of their own stunts. If you could see their faces, it was them doing the stunt. After Emergency! ended, Mantooth was offered a job as a real firefighter. But he chose to keep acting.

Years later, the Smithsonian Institution honored Emergency!. They accepted items from the show into their American History Museum. This happened on May 16, 2000. The items included their uniforms, helmets, and medical equipment.

A project called Project 51 was created. It raised money for a children's burn charity. Mantooth and other cast members toured with the restored squad truck. They raised funds on their way to the Smithsonian.

In 2012, Mantooth and Tighe were made Honorary Fire Chiefs. The Los Angeles County Fire Department gave them this honor. It was for their help in promoting fire and emergency services. They inspired many people to become firefighters or paramedics.

Emergency! was also shown in other countries. It was called Notruf California in Germany. The show also had an animated version called Emergency +4. Mantooth and Tighe voiced their characters in this cartoon. They also hosted a show called Starship Rescue. It promoted NBC's Saturday morning cartoons.

Mantooth and Tighe's characters were used for games, puzzles, and comic books. These items helped promote the series to young viewers.

Mantooth and Tighe also appeared on other TV shows. Their characters from Emergency! crossed over to Sierra and Adam-12.

Mantooth and Tighe became very good friends in real life. They were also close with Julie London and Bobby Troup. Tighe was even the best man at Mantooth's second wedding. Mantooth said that at first, it was a bit scary working with big stars. But they all became like family.

Helping Firefighters and EMS Workers

Randolph Mantooth has been an actor for over 40 years. But he has also strongly supported firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs. He gives speeches and makes appearances every year. He talks about how Emergency! helped develop the EMS system.

Mantooth worked closely with the first certified firefighter/paramedics. They were technical advisors on the Emergency! set. He shares his knowledge about how emergency medical care started. He deeply admired the show's creator, Robert A. Cinader, and James O. Page. Page is known as the "Father of Modern Emergency Medical Services."

Mantooth feels a personal duty to help. He says, "I owe an incredible debt to firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics." He believes he can try to pay them back by doing what he does. Paramedics saved his sister's life after a car accident. He was also saved from carbon monoxide poisoning at home.

Mantooth also teaches firefighters about the dangers of carbon monoxide. He works with Masimo Corporation to spread this message. He is a spokesperson for the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). He has received many awards for his work. He is a lifetime member of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). He also supports the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum.

In 2012, Mantooth filmed a video about emergency preparedness. This was for Native American tribal leaders. He also helped with a project called Pioneers of Paramedicine. This project recorded the history of paramedic programs.

Later Career: 1980s to Today

Mantooth appeared in TV miniseries like Testimony of Two Men (1977). He also starred as Abraham Kent in The Seekers (1979).

In the 1980s, Mantooth guest-starred on many TV shows. These included Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, and Dallas. He also appeared on Murder, She Wrote and L.A. Law.

He moved back to New York and started working in daytime soap operas. He was nominated for four Soap Opera Digest Awards. He played Clay Alden on Loving from 1987 to 1990. He described his character as a "good guy with an edge."

Mantooth returned to Loving in 1993, playing Alex Masters. The show later became The City. His character also appeared on One Life to Live.

He also appeared on General Hospital and As the World Turns. He played both good and bad characters. In 2003, he filled in for another actor on As the World Turns. He played Hal Munson. He returned to the show in 2004 and 2005. In 2007, he played Kirk Harmon on One Life to Live.

In the 1990s, Mantooth also starred in TV movies. These included White Cobra Express. He also appeared in CBS Schoolbreak Special. In 1999, he was in the movie Enemy Action. He also guest-starred on shows like MacGyver and Baywatch.

In the 2000s, Mantooth continued acting in movies and TV shows. He was in the TV movie Bitter Suite (2000). He also appeared in Fire Serpent (2007). His movie roles included Admiral Edwards in Agent Red (2000). He was also in He Was a Quiet Man (2007). More recently, he played Charlie Horse in Sons of Anarchy in 2011.

Since 2012, Mantooth has represented the Seminole Nation. He serves on the American Indian Advisory Board at the San Diego International Film Festival. His sister, Tonya, is the CEO of the festival.

Theatre Work

Mantooth often returns to his theatre roots. He performed in Arsenic and Old Lace in 1983. He also worked with Don Knotts in The Man With The Dirty Mind. In 1984, Mantooth performed in Black Elk Speaks. This play was for the American Indian Theatre Company.

He continued to act in many plays. These included Crazy from the Heart and Evil Little Thoughts. Mantooth also performed in Rain Dance off-Broadway. He has acted in plays by Native American playwright William S. Yellow Robe, Jr..

Mantooth is an Associate Artist at The Purple Rose Theatre Company. This theater was founded by Jeff Daniels in Michigan. Mantooth has been with them since 2003. In 2012, he performed in Superior Donuts there. In 2016, he was in Morning after Grace.

Filmography

TV Series and Appearances

TV Movies

Feature Films

Documentaries

Daytime Drama Series

Soap Opera Digest Award Nominations: