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Randolph Mantooth was offered an opportunity to become a real firefighter after Emergency! wrapped filming
"I truly had to go home and think about it," said the actor.
A delightful byproduct of working as an actor is the ability to live a thousand lives through a single career. Through careful study and preparation, Randolph Mantooth was able to intimately understand the life of an emergency responder, as he played one on the popular television series, Emergency!
From 1972 until 1979, Mantooth starred as John Gage in the popular NBC medical drama. His time playing the role gave him a deep appreciation for those who put their lives on the line to save others.
“Firefighters and paramedics have always had a close place in my heart,” the actor said during an interview with Indian Country Today Media Network.
The actor revealed that when the series wrapped at the end of the 1970s, he was offered an opportunity to merge fiction with reality and become a real firefighter.
“Right after the show was completed, the fire chief, Steve Houts, came up to me and asked if I wanted to become a firefighter because I had trained with them,” said the actor. “He said I would have to take the course for firefighters, but he would help me. I truly had to go home and think about it, but I really enjoyed being an actor, so I decided to stay in my profession.”
Still, the offer demonstrated Mantooth’s courage and his desire to do the career justice while acting on screen. “We thought we were going to get canceled because we were up against All in the Family,” said the actor. “I definitely never thought I'd be talking about this 35-plus years later.
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