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, documentaries, theater, and films for over 50 years. He is best known for playing paramedic John Gage in the 1970s medical drama Emergency!.

Mantooth graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A talent agent discovered him in New York while he was acting in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come. After signing with Universal Studios, he moved to California. He then began building his acting career.

Besides acting, Randolph Mantooth often speaks at Firefighter and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) conferences. 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.

Early Life and Education

Mantooth went to San Marcos High School. There, he enjoyed acting in school plays. After studying at Santa Barbara City College, he earned a scholarship. This scholarship allowed him to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

While at the Academy, he decided to change his first name from "Randy" to "Randolph." He kept his last name. His performance in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come earned him an award for Best Actor. He shared this honor with another actor, Brad Davis.

Before becoming a full-time actor, Mantooth had several jobs. He worked as an elevator operator and as a page at NBC Studios in New York City. His very first job was delivering newspapers in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Family Life

Randolph Mantooth married Rosemarie A. Parra on July 1, 1978. They later divorced. He married Kristen Connors in 2002.

In 2015, Mantooth shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer earlier that year. He completed his treatment and recovered.

Randolph Mantooth's Acting Career

Randolph Mantooth's career began in the 1970s. He was discovered in New York City by a talent agent from Universal Studios. This happened after she saw him in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come.

After moving to California, he started getting roles in TV shows. These included Adam-12 (1968), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), McCloud (1970), and Alias Smith and Jones (1971).

Starring in Emergency!

In 1972, Randolph Mantooth became a TV star in the popular series Emergency!. The show aired on NBC for six seasons. He played paramedic John Gage. He also had roles in other series like Operation Petticoat (1977) and Detective School (1979). He also appeared as a guest on shows like The Love Boat and Battlestar Galactica.

Behind the Scenes of Emergency!

The producer of Emergency!, Robert A. Cinader, chose Randolph Mantooth for the role of John Gage. Mantooth and Kevin Tighe played a paramedic team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. They responded to accidents and rescues. They used special medical equipment to help injured people before taking them to the hospital.

To prepare for their roles, Mantooth and Tighe attended paramedic classes. They also rode along with real paramedics. This helped them learn the basics and look realistic on screen. Mantooth has said that while they learned a lot, they were not actual paramedics.

Impact of Emergency!

When Emergency! first aired in 1972, there were only a few paramedic units in North America. Ten years later, thanks to the show's influence, more than half of all Americans lived near a paramedic unit. The show taught people about emergency medical care, fire prevention, and CPR.

The series ran for six seasons with 129 episodes. It also had seven two-hour TV movie specials. The show was very popular, with about 30 million viewers each week. Mantooth even directed two episodes of Emergency! and a TV movie called Greatest Rescues of Emergency.

Mantooth and Tighe did many of their own stunts in the early years. 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 continue acting.

Emergency! in History

In 2000, the Smithsonian Institution added Emergency! items to its American History Museum. This included their uniforms, helmets, and medical equipment. This showed how important the series was to public service.

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

In 2012, Mantooth and Tighe were made Honorary Fire Chiefs by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. This honor recognized their contributions to fire and emergency medical services. They inspired many people to become firefighters, EMTs, or paramedics.

The show was also popular around the world. It was shown in Germany as Notruf California and dubbed in Spanish. Emergency! also had an animated spin-off called Emergency +4. Mantooth and Tighe voiced their characters in the cartoon.

Their characters, John Gage and Roy DeSoto, even appeared on another TV series called Sierra. Mantooth's character also appeared on an episode of Adam-12.

Mantooth and Tighe became close friends in real life. Tighe was even the best man at Mantooth's second wedding. Mantooth has said that working with stars like Robert Fuller, Bobby Troup, and Julie London was intimidating at first, but they became like family.

Advocacy for First Responders

Randolph Mantooth has been an actor for over 40 years. He is also a strong supporter of firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs. He gives speeches and makes appearances across the country. He shares stories about Emergency! and how it helped develop the EMS system.

Mantooth has a personal reason for his dedication. He says he owes a great debt to first responders. Paramedics saved his own life from carbon monoxide poisoning. They also saved his sister's life after a car accident.

He speaks about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. He works with Masimo Corporation to educate firefighters. He is a spokesperson for the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) on health and safety. He has received many awards, including the James O. Page Award of Excellence.

Mantooth is a lifetime member of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). He is also honorary chairman for the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association. He has also worked on projects to document the history of paramedicine.

Later Career: 1980s to Today

In the 1980s, Mantooth appeared in TV miniseries like Testimony of Two Men (1977) and The Seekers (1979). He also made guest appearances on shows such as Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Dallas, and Murder, She Wrote.

He moved back to New York and started working in daytime soap operas. He played Clay Alden on Loving from 1987 to 1990. He later returned to the show in 1993 as Alex Masters. The series was later renamed The City.

Mantooth also appeared on General Hospital, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns. He played both good guys and villains in these shows.

In the 1990s, Mantooth also starred in TV movies like White Cobra Express. He made guest appearances on series such as MacGyver, Baywatch, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In the 2000s, he continued to act in TV movies and feature films. These included Agent Red (2000) and He Was a Quiet Man (2007). He also appeared on TV series like ER, Criminal Minds, and Ghost Whisperer. In 2011, he played Charlie Horse in Sons of Anarchy.

Since 2012, Mantooth has represented the Seminole Nation on the American Indian Advisory Board. This board is part of the San Diego International Film Festival. His sister, Tonya, is the CEO and artistic director of the Festival.

Theatre Work

Randolph Mantooth has often returned to his theatre roots. He performed in plays like Arsenic and Old Lace in 1983. He also worked with Native American actors in a production of Black Elk Speaks in Oklahoma.

He has performed in many different plays, including Evil Little Thoughts and Rain Dance. He is an Associate Artist at The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Michigan, founded by Jeff Daniels. In 2012, he performed in Superior Donuts at the theatre.

Filmography

TV Series and Guest Appearances

TV Movies

Feature Films

Documentaries

Daytime Drama Series