Kevin Tighe received a full acting education on the set of Emergency!

"You certainly learn in a hurry," the actor said.

October 8, 2024, 2:49PM By MeTV Staff

NBC

Your early jobs as an actor can be difficult, but imagine working one of your first jobs on a major television network.

For Kevin Tighe, his first real acting job was a real trial by fire. Tighe said in an interview that his first acting job was on Emergency! where he played Roy DeSoto. By his own account, Tighe was an inexperienced actor, unsure of how a real television set worked.

"My first real job was the pilot for Emergency!" he said. "I didn't know anything about TV. Now, it's all like a big blur in my mind."

As new as Tighe was to the experience, his mettle was certainly put to the test, as the cast worked long hours during filming.

"One night, we worked until 2 a.m., then Randy [Mantooth] and I drove from the studio to Marina Del Rey, checked into a motel to catch a couple of hours sleep before we had to report to work at one of the docks at six," the actor said.

At one point, Tighe actually recalled a moment while struggling during a scene, he actually yelled "Cut!" while filming, a faux pas for an actor on set.

"Everyone stared at me, did a double take," he said. "Randy Mantooth told me quietly, 'You don't do that in T.V. That's what the director is here for.' And you should have seen the look on [Jack] Webb's face. Ever since then, I try hard not to yell, 'Cut.'"

Eventually, Tighe was able to forget his nerves and get a better understanding of his workplace. After an unforgettable filming experience, Tighe was able to find the silver lining of the situation, and in retrospect, was able to view it as a learning experience.

"One thing about that kind of frantic pace, though," he said. "You certainly learn in a hurry."