To be successful is nice, but it's not a necessity to survive in this world, even if it feels that way sometimes. People think that success is the only way to be happy and earn some respect, but that isn't true. True happiness takes many forms, and if you're always looking to the next success to gain validation, you'll never be happy.

Randolph Mantooth was indeed successful, but it seems to have had no effect on his happiness. As one of the stars of Emergency! Mantooth had the eyes of viewers everywhere on him, along with their adoration. However, it seemed that Mantooth wasn't especially interested in it at all.

During an interview with the Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, Mantooth said that success and all of its riches can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword.

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"Money gets in the way," Mantooth said. "Money brings a lot of possessions and they get in the way of freedom. If you have a color TV you have to watch it. If you have a car you have to drive it. I own as little as I can so I can be footloose and fancy-free."

As part of his more free-wheeling lifestyle, Mantooth didn't like to be tied down to anything, even his career.

"Do I want to continue acting? I don't know," Mantooth said. "Other things in life make me happy, too. I'm a contradictory person. I'll say one thing today and something else tomorrow. I try not to lock myself into an idea...One thing about a series is it ties me down." 

On the other hand, Mantooth was grateful for the fame that his success had brought him. "I'd be a liar if I said it doesn't matter whether I have a series or not. It's nice to have it, but if it blew up tomorrow, I'd be disappointed but I'd survive. Insecurity is good for an actor. Security dulls you."