Biography

Lifelong friend of John Ritter.

Best friend of Randolph Mantooth.

Like his ex-Emergency! (1972) co-star, Robert Fuller, Tighe also spent time in the US Army.

He was best man at the 2002 wedding of his old friend, actor Randolph Mantooth, to Kristen Connors.

He is the godfather of Kate Mulgrew's sons.

I grew up in downtown L.A. on West 7th Street near Lafayette Park. When I was 5 we moved to Pasadena. My father was a bit actor. He got me going when I was about 9 or 10 - I auditioned for something at the Pasadena Playhouse and I started playing juvenile leads.

[If he was embarrassed over his role on Emergency! (1972) opposite Julie London, Bobby Troup and Randolph Mantooth, who would later be his best friend, who in turn played Johnny Gage]: No, I feel a great deal of pride that I was able to be a paramedic. Randolph and I have stayed good friends. I was the best man at his wedding. I didn't want to scurry away from it. But it was something I did in my 20s. It didn't require a lot of acting. It didn't require a lot of great dialogue ... I don't list it in the program because it doesn't really link with what I am doing now.

We were supposed to do it in New York, but something happened. So I went to Europe. I worked at Cambridge for a while. I ran out of money.

[Who admitted he had a serious problem with his celebrity status prior to his days on Emergency! (1972)]: I didn't know how to deal with it. I couldn't small talk. I would go to parties and my glasses would fog. I was truly miserable. I am a character actor. I am not a celebrity.

[on the deaths of Bobby Troup and Julie London]: They were very special to the cast and crew and they became good friends and that it hurt deeply when Bobby and Julie died. Their friendship could never be replaced.