Randolph Mantooth dies at 80: Who was he? Actor who starred as Johnny Gage on Emergency!

Randolph Mantooth dies at 80: Veteran star Randolph Mantooth passed away on Thursday, as per the Hollywood Reporter. He was 80. He was best known for his performance as the goofy but gallant firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on the 1970s NBC action show, Emergency!

Randolph Mantooth death

Reportedly, Mantooth spent his final moments at a hospice facility in Ventura, California. His death was confirmed by his brother, Donald Mantooth, to the news portal. As per the brother, Mantooth had been “ill for a number of years and kept getting thinner and thinner."

However, the official cause of death remains unreported.

Mantooth is survived by his wife Kristen Connors, as well as his brother, his sister Tonya alongside nieces and nephews.

Who was Randolph Mantooth

Born on Sept. 19, 1945, in Sacramento as Randy DeRoy Mantooth, Randolph Mantooth has made contributions in the fields of television, film and theatre for more than 50 years.

Reportedly, he was constantly on the move with his family while growing up, as his father, Buck, was a pipeline construction engineer. It is said that he lived in 24 different states before he was 18. On the other hand, his mother, Sadie, worked as a waitress, reportedly.

He gained recognition after starring in Emergency!, created by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader. He starred opposite Kevin Tighe, who appeared as his partner Roy DeSoto.

Mantooth was at the beginning of his career as a contract player at Universal when he bagged Emergency!

The actor had shared how he reacted initially after knowing that he was going to play a paramedic in the show.

“What the hell is a paramedic? At that time, there were only [a handful] in all of California,” Mantooth had said in a 2013 interview for the TV Academy Foundation website The Interviews.

He also revealed he was initially hesitant to accept the offer because it required him to chop off his hair.

Operating out of Station 51 from Los Angeles County Fire Department, Gage and DeSoto frequently crossed paths with several medical staff working at the Rampart General Hospital. It included Dr Kelly Brackett (played by Robert Fuller), nurse Dixie McCall (played by Julie London), and Dr Joe Early (played by London’s real-life husband, Bobby Troup).

Emergency! ran successfully for six-seasons on NBC from 1972 until 1977. The success of the show later translated into seven television films and even a Saturday morning animated spin-off in 1973.

Other works of Mantooth

Other best-known works by Randolph Mantooth also include his portrayal as Clay Alden/Alex Masters on the ABC soap opera Loving. He also starred on other daytime serials including ABC’s General Hospital, CBS’ As the World Turns and ABC’s One Life to Live. He also worked in the HBO miniseries The Seekers, produced by Cinader.

He joined shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Charlie’s Angels, The Fall Guy, Diagnosis Murder and LA Law as a celebrity guest.

He appeared in films like He Was a Quiet Man (2007) and Bold Native (2010) and on selected episodes of FX’s Sons of Anarchy (2011).