General Hospital Leading Man Dead at 80: ‘I Have So Much Love For Him That I Am Left Speechless,’ Says Former Co-Star
Sad news, General Hospital fans. Randolph Mantooth, the primetime heartthrob who spent two years in Port Charles as sneaky Richard Halifax, passed away at age 80 on July 9.
The Long and Winding Road to Daytime
The actor was already a hit on the guest-star circuit, having appeared on everything from Ironside to Marcus Welby, M.D., when he nabbed his breakout role of paramedic John Gage on Emergency! in 1972. (Of note, Mantooth as well as co-star Kevin Tighe performed most of their own stunts.)
How iconic was John Gage? Mantooth played the EMT on other shows, too, voiced the character in a Saturday-morning cartoon version of the show and inspired his depiction in comic books.
Man in Motion
Needless to say, following his six-year stint on Emergency! Mantooth continued to work steadily, guest-starring here, there and everywhere in primetime. But in 1987, he took a shot at daytime, joining Loving as moneybags Clay Alden… who turned out to be Alex Masters.
Mantooth left Corinth in 1990 to check into General Hospital. But apparently, it wasn’t a great experience. “I hated that show,” he disclosed in a Television Academy Q&A. By 1993, he was back on Loving and remained with the show as it was remixed into The City. (Alex’s pairing with future General Hospital star Lisa LoCicero’s Jocelyn remains a fond favorite.)
As opposed to General Hospital, Mantooth loved working on Loving. “They let me ad-lib,” he marveled. “I’ve never had more fun going to a set.”
Unforgettable
The TV vet returned to soapdom twice more, first stepping in as Hal Munson on As the World Turns following Benjamin Hendrickson’s death by suicide, then passing through One Life to Live as baseball MVP Tate Harmon’s dad, Kirk. He is survived by Kristen Connors, his wife of nearly a quarter of a century.
Precious Memories
As news of Mantooth’s passing spread, LoCicero took to Instagram to pay tribute to her leading man. “My first crush… my first TV kiss… I spent the early ’70s pretending I was on a ride-along with Johnny Gage — on a BigWheel on the sidewalks of Grosse Pointe,” wrote the actress. “I adored this man, his humor, his talent, his ethic… His support in my first years on TV meant more than he could ever know, and he changed my life.
“There’s a new angel keeping us all a bit safer,” she concluded. “I will miss you beyond… ”
Rena Sofer (ex-Lois, General Hospital) shared that “it is with a sad and heavy heart that I must say goodbye to my dear friend Randolph Mantooth. I have so much to say about him, so much love for him that I am left speechless. This man came into my life when I was 18 years old and never left. He took me under his wing as he did to most young actors he ever met. He treated me with respect and kindness but most of all friendship. It made no difference to him about our age gap, he knew I was part of his world before I even did.
“When I joined Loving [as Rocky], he immediately decided I needed to move out of my dad’s home and move into NYC. He also decided I needed a pair of cowboy boots and a leather jacket. Why? Who knows? But I did all of those three things,” she continued. “He would come to me every day with the newspaper and circle apartments for rent, and we would go look at them until I found one that was perfect. We have been lifelong friends, and I cherish every moment I had with him. He was a friend to so many, a true great friend… He will be missed.”
