Actor Randolph Mantooth, star of 'Emergency!', dies at 80

Randolph Mantooth, the actor who became synonymous with the pioneering 1970s series Emergency!, died on July 9 at 80 years old. He first gained national attention in 1972 when he was cast as paramedic John Gage, a role that helped popularize the then-new profession of emergency medical services.

Born in Sacramento in 1945, Mantooth pursued acting after high school, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He appeared in guest spots on shows such as Ironside, The Virginian and Marcus Welby, M.D., before landing the Emergency! role that ran for six seasons and earned him directing credits and a television movie.

"First thing I said was, ‘What the hell’s a paramedic?’" he recalled in a 2013 interview with the Television Academy, noting that at the time only a handful of paramedics existed in California.

Mantooth and co-star Kevin Tighe were later honored by the Los Angeles Fire Department as Honorary Fire Chiefs for raising public awareness of emergency services. After Emergency! ended, he built a long career in daytime and primetime television, including stints on Loving, General Hospital, The City, As the World Turns and guest appearances on Criminal Minds and Sons of Anarchy.

In 2015 he announced a cancer diagnosis on Facebook and later reported successful treatment and ongoing recovery. He remained active in supporting firefighters, EMTs, Native American groups and community events until his death.

Mantooth is survived by his wife of 23 years, Kristen Connors, and his siblings Donald and Tonya.