Mr. Know It All to the rescue

Q. I have been watching reruns of “Emergency!” Is Randolph Mantooth still alive?

C.L., Los Angeles

A. Randy DeRoy Mantooth was born September 19, 1945, and has been in the entertainment business for more than 40 years. He already had established an impressive resume when he won the role of paramedic John Gage on the show “Emergency!” in 1972. After the show was canceled in 1977, Mantooth appeared in more than 60 TV shows and more than two dozen TV and feature movies.

He continues to work with emergency organizations throughout the country; he has been married twice and has lived in 24 states.

Q. Ed O’Neill is one of my favorite actors. Can you tell me if he is promoting Zyrtec on TV commercials? What can you tell me about him?

- via email

A. Edward Leonard “Ed” O’Neill was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on April 12, 1946. He won a football scholarship and attended Ohio University and later Youngstown State University. In 1969, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was cut in training camp. He returned to YSU where he continued his studies. After graduation, he became a teacher at his former school, Ursuline High School, and eventually got into acting.

O’Neill is primarily known for playing the lead role of Al Bundy in “Married ... With Children,” a long-running sitcom about a dysfunctional family living in Chicago that premiered in April 1987 and concluded in June 1997.

He has appeared in more than 30 films and many TV shows, including his current stint as patriarch Jay Pritchett in “Modern Family.” He married actress Catherine Rusoff in 1986; the couple separated for several years but reconciled in 1993. They have two daughters. In March 2012, O’Neill began promoting Zyrtec and Zyrtec-D allergy medicines on TV.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.