This beefy, genial-looking character actor was born Jon Kevin Fishburn in Los Angeles. Performing as a child from age 10, Kevin Tighe initially attended Pasadena City College. He later obtained a Master's Degree in Theater, then taught drama at USC. Living Bohemian-style out of a suitcase after he decided to pursue acting professionally, he was in the United Kingdom trying to obtain work at various prestigious theater companies when producer Jack Webb acquired his services for the Emergency! (1972) medical series alongside Robert Fuller, Julie London, Bobby Troup and Randolph Mantooth.
Tighe gained TV stardom as paramedic Roy DeSoto and the series lasted six years. Along with that came a spin-off animated series and some follow-up TV-movies. He returned to acting study in order to refresh his skills during the slow "post-Emergency" period and managed to work with such inspiring notables as Stella Adler. His perseverance paid off with a steady stream of gray-haired character roles starting in the 80s -- predominantly in rugged fare. Although he made his Broadway debut with "Open Admissions" in 1984, the show folded after only a couple of weeks. On film, however, Kevin did quite well by appearing in such high-profile movies as Matewan (1987), where he first played a "bad guy," Eight Men Out (1988), Road House (1989), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), City of Hope (1991), Newsies (1992), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Jade (1995) and Mumford (1999).
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
Leverage (2008)
Guest starring as Ian Blackpoole
(2 episodes)
- Episode 1x13: The Second David Job (Feb 24, 2009)
- Episode 1x12: The First David Job (Feb 17, 2009)
Lost (2004)
Guest starring as Anthony Cooper
(6 episodes)
- Episode 6x14: The Candidate (May 4, 2010)
- Episode 3x19: The Brig (May 2, 2007)
- Episode 3x13: The Man from Tallahassee (Mar 21, 2007)
- Episode 2x17: Lockdown (Mar 29, 2006)
- Episode 2x03: Orientation (Oct 5, 2005)
- Episode 1x19: Deus ex Machina (Mar 30, 2005)
The 4400 (2004)
Guest starring as Senator Roland Lenhoff
(2 episodes)
- Episode 4x07: Till We Have Built Jerusalem (Jul 29, 2007)
- Episode 4x04: The Truth and Nothing But the Truth (Jul 8, 2007)
Freaks and Geeks (1999)
Guest starring as Mr. Andopolis
(2 episodes)
- Episode 1x13: Smooching and Mooching (Jul 8, 2000)
- Episode 1x05: I'm with the Band (Nov 13, 1999)
The West Wing (1999)
Guest starring as Governer Jack Buckland
- Episode 3x04: On the Day Before (Oct 31, 2001)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Guest starring as Julian Cooper
- Episode 9x02: Avatar (Oct 2, 2007)
Guest starring as Gregory Searle
- Episode 17x19: Sheltered Outcasts (Mar 30, 2016)
Murder One (1995)
Starring as David Blalock
(6 episodes)
- Episode 1x23: Chapter Twenty-Three (Apr 23, 1996)
- Episode 1x05: Chapter Five (Oct 19, 1995)
- Episode 1x04: Chapter Four (Oct 12, 1995)
- Episode 1x03: Chapter Three (Oct 3, 1995)
- Episode 1x02: Chapter Two (Sep 26, 1995)
- Episode 1x01: Chapter One (Sep 19, 1995)
Guest starring as David Blalock
- Episode 1x06: Chapter Six (Nov 2, 1995)
The Kent Chronicles (1978)
Guest starring as Thomas Jefferson
- Episode 2x01: Episode 1 (May 14, 1979)
The Love Boat (1977)
Guest starring as Chris
- Episode 3x24: Dumb Luck / Tres Amigos / Hey, Jealous Lover (Mar 15, 1980)
Battle of the Network Stars (1976)
Guest starring as Kevin Tighe
- Episode 1x01: Special #1 (Nov 13, 1976)
The Rich Little Show (1975)
Guest starring as Kevin Tighe
- Episode 1x05: with Bernadette Peters, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, William Conrad, Randolph Mantooth, Kevin Tighe (Mar 1, 1976) [Special Guest Star]
Ellery Queen (1975)
Guest starring as Detective Jim Millay
- Episode 1x20: The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep (Mar 14, 1976)
Emergency! (1972)
Starring as Fireman Roy DeSoto
(123 episodes)
- Episode 6x24: All Night Long (May 28, 1977)
- Episode 6x23: Limelight (Apr 23, 1977)
- Episode 6x22: Hypochondri-Cap (Apr 16, 1977)
- Episode 6x21: Upward and Onward (Apr 2, 1977)
- Episode 6x20: Isolation (Mar 19, 1977)
- Episode 6x19: The Boat (Mar 12, 1977)
- Episode 6x18: Firehouse Quintet (Mar 5, 1977)
- Episode 6x17: Bottom Line (Feb 26, 1977)
- Episode 6x16: Family Ties (Feb 19, 1977)
- Episode 6x15: Breakdown (Feb 12, 1977)
- Episode 6x14: Insanity Epidemic (Feb 5, 1977)
- Episode 6x13: An Ounce of Prevention (Jan 22, 1977)
- Episode 6x12: Loose Ends (Jan 15, 1977)
- Episode 6x11: Paperwork (Jan 8, 1977)
- Episode 6x10: Welcome to Santa Rosa County (Dec 25, 1976)
- Episode 6x09: Computer Terror (Dec 4, 1976)
- Episode 6x08: Captain Hook (Nov 20, 1976)
- Episode 6x07: The Exam (Nov 13, 1976)
- Episode 6x06: Rules of Order (Nov 6, 1976)
- Episode 6x05: Fair Fight (Oct 30, 1976)
- Episode 6x04: That Time of Year (Oct 23, 1976)
- Episode 6x03: The Unlikely Heirs (Oct 9, 1976)
- Episode 6x02: Not Available (Oct 2, 1976)
- Episode 6x01: The Game (Sep 25, 1976)
- Episode 5x22: The Nuisance (Mar 6, 1976)
- Episode 5x21: The Tycoons (Feb 28, 1976)
- Episode 5x20: The Great Crash Diet (Feb 21, 1976)
- Episode 5x19: Grateful (Feb 7, 1976)
- Episode 5x18: Above and Beyond ... Nearly (Jan 31, 1976)
- Episode 5x17: Involvement (Jan 24, 1976)
- Episode 5x16: The Girl on the Balance Beam (Jan 17, 1976)
- Episode 5x15: Right at Home (Jan 10, 1976)
- Episode 5x14: To Buy or Not to Buy (Dec 20, 1975)
- Episode 5x13: Communications (Dec 13, 1975)
- Episode 5x12: On Camera (Dec 6, 1975)
- Episode 5x11: Tee Vee (Nov 29, 1975)
- Episode 5x10: Simple Adjustment (Nov 22, 1975)
- Episode 5x09: The Lighter-Than-Air Man (Nov 15, 1975)
- Episode 5x08: One of Those Days (Nov 1, 1975)
- Episode 5x07: Pressure 165 (Oct 25, 1975)
- Episode 5x06: The Indirect Method (Oct 18, 1975)
- Episode 5x05: The Inspection (Oct 11, 1975)
- Episode 5x04: Equipment (Oct 4, 1975)
- Episode 5x03: Election (Sep 27, 1975)
- Episode 5x02: The Old Engine Cram (Sep 20, 1975)
- Episode 5x01: The Stewardess (Sep 13, 1975)
- Episode 4x22: 905-Wild (Mar 1, 1975)
- Episode 4x21: Back-Up (Feb 15, 1975)
- Episode 4x20: The Mouse (Feb 8, 1975)
- Episode 4x19: It's How You Play the Game (Feb 1, 1975)
- Episode 4x18: Prestidigitation (Jan 25, 1975)
- Episode 4x17: Kidding (Jan 18, 1975)
- Episode 4x16: Smoke Eater (Jan 11, 1975)
- Episode 4x15: Transition (Jan 4, 1975)
- Episode 4x14: The Bash (Dec 28, 1974)
- Episode 4x13: Parade (Dec 21, 1974)
- Episode 4x12: Details (Dec 7, 1974)
- Episode 4x11: The Firehouse Four (Nov 30, 1974)
- Episode 4x10: Camera Bug (Nov 23, 1974)
- Episode 4x09: Foreign Trade (Nov 16, 1974)
- Episode 4x08: Quicker Than the Eye (Nov 9, 1974)
- Episode 4x07: Daisy's Pick (Nov 2, 1974)
- Episode 4x06: Surprise (Oct 19, 1974)
- Episode 4x05: Communication Gaffe (Oct 12, 1974)
- Episode 4x04: Nagging Suspicion (Oct 5, 1974)
- Episode 4x03: Gossip (Sep 28, 1974)
- Episode 4x02: I'll Fix It (Sep 21, 1974)
- Episode 4x01: The Screenwriter (Sep 14, 1974)
- Episode 3x22: Inventions (Mar 23, 1974)
- Episode 3x21: Propinquity (Feb 16, 1974)
- Episode 3x20: Floor Brigade (Feb 9, 1974)
- Episode 3x19: The Hard Hours (Feb 2, 1974)
- Episode 3x18: How Green Was My Thumb? (Jan 26, 1974)
- Episode 3x17: Fools (Jan 19, 1974)
- Episode 3x16: Messin' Around (Jan 12, 1974)
- Episode 3x15: Inferno (Jan 5, 1974)
- Episode 3x14: Computer Error (Dec 22, 1973)
- Episode 3x13: Understanding (Dec 15, 1973)
- Episode 3x12: Body Language (Dec 8, 1973)
- Episode 3x11: The Promise (Dec 1, 1973)
- Episode 3x10: Zero (Nov 24, 1973)
- Episode 3x09: Inheritance Tax (Nov 17, 1973)
- Episode 3x08: Insomnia (Nov 10, 1973)
- Episode 3x07: The Promotion (Nov 3, 1973)
- Episode 3x06: Snakebite (Oct 27, 1973)
- Episode 3x05: Heavyweight (Oct 20, 1973)
- Episode 3x04: An English Visitor (Oct 13, 1973)
- Episode 3x03: Alley Cat (Oct 6, 1973)
- Episode 3x02: The Old Engine (Sep 29, 1973)
- Episode 3x01: Frequency (Sep 22, 1973)
- Episode 2x21: Audit (Apr 7, 1973)
- Episode 2x20: Rip-Off (Mar 10, 1973)
- Episode 2x19: Boot (Mar 3, 1973)
- Episode 2x18: Seance (Feb 24, 1973)
- Episode 2x17: Honest (Feb 17, 1973)
- Episode 2x16: Syndrome (Feb 10, 1973)
- Episode 2x15: The Professor (Feb 3, 1973)
- Episode 2x14: School Days (Jan 13, 1973)
- Episode 2x13: Drivers (Jan 6, 1973)
- Episode 2x12: Helpful (Dec 16, 1972)
- Episode 2x11: Musical Mania (Dec 9, 1972)
- Episode 2x10: Dinner Date (Dec 2, 1972)
- Episode 2x09: Women (Nov 25, 1972)
- Episode 2x08: Trainee (Nov 11, 1972)
- Episode 2x07: Fuzz Lady (Nov 4, 1972)
- Episode 2x06: Saddled (Oct 21, 1972)
- Episode 2x05: Peace Pipe (Oct 14, 1972)
- Episode 2x04: Virus (Oct 7, 1972)
- Episode 2x03: Show Biz (Sep 30, 1972)
- Episode 2x02: Kids (Sep 23, 1972)
- Episode 2x01: Decision a.k.a. Problem (Sep 16, 1972)
- Episode 1x11: Crash (Apr 15, 1972)
- Episode 1x10: Hang-up (Apr 8, 1972)
- Episode 1x09: Dilemma (Mar 25, 1972)
- Episode 1x08: Weird Wednesday (Mar 18, 1972)
- Episode 1x02: Botulism (Jan 29, 1972)
- Episode S01 Special: The Wedsworth-Townsend Act (Jan 15, 1972)
- Episode S06 Special: The Convention (Jul 3, 1979)
- Episode S06 Special: What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing... (Jun 26, 1979)
- Episode S06 Special: Greatest Rescues of Emergency! (Dec 31, 1978)
- Episode S06 Special: Most Deadly Passage (Apr 4, 1978)
- Episode S06 Special: Survival on Charter #220 (Mar 25, 1978)
- Episode S06 Special: The Steel Inferno (Jan 7, 1978)
The Hollywood Squares (1966)
Guest starring as Panelist
- Episode 10x10: October 6-10, 1975 (DT) (Oct 6, 1975)
Crew Credits
Emergency! (1972)
Episode crew as Director
(4 episodes)
- Episode 6x05: Fair Fight (Oct 30, 1976)
- Episode 5x04: Equipment (Oct 4, 1975)
- Episode 4x03: Gossip (Sep 28, 1974)
- Episode 3x22: Inventions (Mar 23, 1974)
Episode crew as Writer
- Episode 6x24: All Night Long (May 28, 1977)