Randolph Mantooth is best known for playing paramedic Johnny Gage on “Emergency!” in the 1970s television series and died on July 9 in Ventura. He was 80 years old.
Mantooth caused a stir in 1972 when he appeared on “Emergency!,” which introduced the profession of paramedic to the public. He co-starred with Kevin Tighe on the hit NBC series, which ran for six seasons, and performed most of his own stunts.
His brother said he died at a hospice facility after a long illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He played “Emergency!” He played the character Johnny Gage on other shows such as “Adam-12,” and remained an advocate for firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs throughout his life.
After guest appearances on shows such as “Dallas,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and “The Love Boat,” Mantooth gained attention with appearances on soap operas. He joined ‘Loving’ in 1987 as Clay Alden and then spent two years on ‘General Hospital’ as Richard Halifax. He then returned to “Loving” for another two years. Other dramas he appeared in included shows such as “The City,” “As the World Turns,” “One Life to Live,” “Criminal Minds,” “Ghost Whisperer” and “Sons of Anarchy.”
Mantooth was born in Sacramento. His father was of Cherokee and Seminole descent. He studied at Santa Barbara City College and won a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
After being discovered on stage in New York and landing a Universal deal, he began appearing in television shows such as “Ironside,” “The Virgin,” “Dr. Marcus Welby,” and “The Bold Ones.”
He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2015.
Mantooth is survived by his wife Kristen and brothers Donald and Tonya.
