Randolph Mantooth

Randy DeRoy Mantooth (September 19, 1945 – July 9, 2026), known professionally as Randolph Mantooth, was an American actor who worked in television, documentaries, theater, and film for more than 50 years. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he was discovered in New York by a Universal Studios talent agent while performing the lead in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come! After signing with Universal and moving back to California, he slowly built up his resume with work on such dramatic series as Adam-12; Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969); McCloud (1970); and Alias Smith and Jones (1971).

Mantooth portrayed paramedic John Gage in the 1970s medical drama Emergency! to Sadie (née Neddenreip) from Nebraska, of German and English descent, and Donald "Buck" Mantooth, who was Cherokee and Seminole.

Mantooth attended San Marcos High School and participated in school plays. Following his studies at Santa Barbara City College, he received a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. It was there that he chose to change his first name from "Randy" to the stage name "Randolph", keeping his last name.

Mantooth's earlier jobs included work as an elevator operator at the Madison Avenue Baptist Church and as a page at NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. His very first paying job in life was as a newspaper boy for the local paper, the Coatesville Record, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Career Early work (1970s) Mantooth was discovered in New York City by Universal Studios' talent agent Eleanor Kilgallen (sister of Dorothy Kilgallen) while playing the lead in the play Philadelphia, Here I Come! and moving back to California, he slowly built up his resume with work on such dramatic series as Adam-12 (1968), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), McCloud (1970) and Alias Smith and Jones (1971). In an interview with Tom Blixa of WTVN, Mantooth said that the producer wanted them to train so that they would at least know the fundamentals and look like they knew what they were doing on camera. Mantooth mentioned that unless you take the written course you are not a paramedic and that "if anyone has a heart attack, I'll call 911 with the best of them". According to authors Richard Yokley and Roxane Sutherland who wrote the book, Emergency! Behind the Scenes, the show Emergency! is an important chapter in television history.

At the time of the series' world premiere in 1972, there were only 12 paramedic units in North America located in four municipalities. Ten years later, more than half of all Americans were within ten minutes of a paramedic rescue or ambulance unit, due to the influence of the show. The program introduced audiences from all over the world to the concept of pre-hospital care, along with fire prevention and CPR. He was offered an opportunity after Emergency! went off the air to be an actual firefighter, but decided to continue with acting. Items inducted at the Smithsonian included their uniforms, scripts, helmets, turnouts, biophone, and defibrillator.

In conjunction to the induction of the equipment from Emergency! at the Smithsonian, Project 51 was created in an effort to raise funds for a children's burn charity, The honor was bestowed on the men for their contributions to the fire service and emergency medicine through educating and inspiring children and adults to be firefighters, EMTs, or paramedics. The series contributed to the revolution in emergency medicine and mobile emergency health care across the country. and four magazines, were issued by Charlton Comics in 1976.

While talking with Tom Blixa of WTVN, Mantooth said that at first it was a little intimidating working with Robert Fuller, Bobby Troup and Julie London, because they were all big stars, but after doing a series with them for seven years they all became like family.

Through the 1980s, Mantooth made guest-star appearances on a number of televisions series including Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, three appearances on The Fall Guy, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote and L.A. Law.

He moved back to New York where he explored a new direction in his career with daytime soap operas,

He appeared on General Hospital, One Life to Live and As the World Turns, where he played both good guys and villains. In 1999, he played Solonsky in the feature film Enemy Action. Mantooth also made guest appearances on series such as China Beach, MacGyver, Baywatch, Diagnosis: Murder, JAG, Promised Land and Walker, Texas Ranger during the 1990s. Mantooth also starred on series such as ER, Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer, and most recently as Charlie Horse in Sons of Anarchy in 2011. His sister Tonya is the CEO and artistic director of the Festival. In 2015 Mantooth was raising funds for a screenplay that focused on Indian gambling, called The Bone Game. and Mark Kaufman's Evil Little Thoughts Mantooth, along with James Van Der Beek performed Lanford Wilson's Rain Dance off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre. Mantooth has also performed in three works written by William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.: The Pendleton Blanket, Wink-Dah and The Independence of Eddie Rose.

He performed with Donna Couteau in Footprints in Blood for the American Indian Theatre Company (AITCO) at the Old Lady of Brady Theatre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mantooth portrayed Dr. Charles Western in Gary Leon Hill's Back to the Blankets at the Denver Center Theatre in 1991. Mantooth performed in two additional plays: The Paper Crown and The Inuit.

Mantooth was an Associate Artist of The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan, since 2003. Mantooth completed a three-month run of Tracy Letts's Superior Donuts in 2012 at the theater. Mantooth performed in Carey Crim's Morning after Grace at the Purple Rose Theatre in the Fall 2016.

Personal life and death Mantooth married Rosemarie A. Parra on July 1, 1978; they were divorced in 1991. In 2002, he married Kristen Connors.

In 2013, Mantooth's mother, Sadie Mantooth, died at age 90. The Los Angeles County Fire Museum received a special donation from him dedicated to the memory of his mother.

In 2015, Mantooth revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year, had completed treatment, and was heading toward a recovery.

Mantooth died of complications from pneumonia at a hospice facility in Ventura, California, on July 9, 2026, at the age of 80.

Firefighter/EMS advocate and spokesperson In addition to Mantooth working as an actor for over forty years, he remained an advocate of firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and other emergency medical services providers. He made speeches and personal appearances each year at events across the country, Mantooth referenced his own life being saved from carbon monoxide poisoning at home during the run of Emergency!, in addition to paramedics and a flight nurse saving his sister's life after she was involved in a car accident. In association with Masimo Corporation, he spoke on carbon monoxide poisoning nationwide. Masimo Corporation funded a video, narrated by Mantooth, regarding the dangers of carbon monoxide to educate firefighters. He "accepts the accolades with gracious deference to those he considers our true heroes".

His work as an advocate for firefighters and EMTs also extended to Native American peoples. In May 2012, he filmed an Emergency Preparedness video with Monte Fronk in Minnesota at the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Reservation to be distributed to tribal leaders. The project was funded through a public health education grant through the University of Minnesota.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Show Role Result 1990 Soap Opera Digest Outstanding Hero: Daytime Loving Clay Alden/Alex Masters 1995 Outstanding Supporting Actor 1996 Outstanding Male Scene Stealer 1997 Outstanding Supporting Actor The City Alex Masters