LOS ANGELES — Actor Randolph Mantooth, greatest identified for his function as firefighter and medic John Gage in NBC’s “Emergency!” tv collection within the Seventies, has died at age 80 after an extended sickness, his household stated Friday.
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Mantooth’s function and the present, which ran for 5 years, modified the way in which that first responders have been seen on TV, his household stated.
“The collection helped introduce the general public to paramedics and emergency medication, inspiring numerous people to pursue careers in EMS and firefighting,” the household stated in a press release. “Its affect prolonged far past leisure, contributing to larger recognition of emergency medical providers all through the nation.”
“Emergency!” featured a crew from Los Angeles County Fireplace Division Station 51. It ran from January 1972 till Might 1977. There have been additionally made-for-television films that aired till 1979.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fireplace Division stated Friday that Mantooth will probably be remembered as part of the legacy of the division and firefighters in all places.
“Randolph Mantooth was the face of the Los Angeles County Fireplace Division for a complete technology. Speak to any fireplace buff of a sure age, and Johnny Gage driving Squad 51 is the stuff of legend,” Los Angeles County Fireplace Capt. Aaron Katon stated.
Mantooth was born in Sacramento, California, on Sept. 19, 1945. He earned a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, his household stated.
He appeared within the 2003 off-Broadway present “Rain Dance,” a play by Lanford Wilson, which additionally featured actor James Van Der Beek.
Mantooth was of Seminole descent, in response to IMDB. He performed a navy police officer and former Native American dancer within the manufacturing, which profiles individuals on the night time earlier than the testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico, Backstage reported on the time.
Whereas identified for the tv present, “Randy remained dedicated to theater all through his profession,” his household stated.
“Past performing, Randy’s bond with the emergency providers group grew to become one of the vital significant elements of his life,” Mantooth’s household stated within the assertion. “He devoted himself to honoring firefighters and paramedics guaranteeing that their braveness, sacrifice, and humanity have been acknowledged.”
