Two with Rector ties on top TV shows

Hope Johnson

Two talented Rector High School graduates were watched by millions of viewers on television Wednesday evening, Feb. 3, as 2008 RHS grad Hope Johnson performed on American Idol and Mike Randleman, who graduated from RHS in 1980, appeared as a guest star on the popular CBS drama Criminal Minds.

Johnson, a native of Texas, attended RHS for a semester. While her time in Rector was short, Hope made many friends with her warm smile and a friendly approach.

"She was a really nice girl," said RHS teacher Mark Manchester. "I had her in my class. I remember she wanted to be an entertainer. She's on her way to accomplishing her goal. All of us at the school are really proud of her."

Hope's ascent to the spotlight is a true instance of the realization of the American Dream. The young woman has faced many challenges, growing up under very difficult circumstances. During her interview on American Idol, Hope shared her story of growing up in poverty in Texas with her six sisters and a brother.

"I didn't know we were poor when I was little," Hope said to the camera. "I thought a lot of kids didn't eat dinner. Our parents would say, 'You're gonna eat at school.'"

When her school lunch came, Hope often would save food from her tray (many times her only real meal of the day) and take it home to her little brother. "When he was hungry, he would cry," she explained.

The lovely young brunette made the choice to move forward on her own, not letting her difficult upbringing be an excuse to not succeed.

"There's always tomorrow, and things are always gonna be better," Hope said as she apologetically wiped away tears during her interview. "There's a lot worse things than just going without."

Today, Hope lives in Arlington, Texas, where she works as a waitress and bartender. However, she may be undertaking a new profession after her performance of Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" not only wowed her local fans, but also impressed the American Idol judges enough to earn her a trip to Hollywood for the next stage of the competition.

"There's a certain sort of innocence," American Idol judge Randy Jackson said of Hope. "You've got a beautiful tone to your voice, but you need to work on completing the phrases."

Even the sometimes difficult Simon Cowell smiled at Hope and said, "I like you. You're cute."

Now, Hope and her fans, both those who have wished the best for the young woman for years and those who were only recently introduced to her, will be anxiously waiting to see what the future has in store.

Randleman On CBS

The same night, Rector viewers caught a familiar face on the police drama "Criminal Minds" as Randleman, a veteran actor known for his record-setting number of appearances on "The Tonight Show," appeared in a guest starring role in the episode "Parasite." The show's plot involved a con artist whose descent into mental illness prompted him to kill those associated with his schemes.

Randleman also appeared in the Dec. 28 episode of "Men of a Certain Age" on TBS and was cast as an announcer in two episodes of the drama "Bones" on Fox in 2009. He has appeared on many other popular television shows such as "Home Improvement," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Ally McBeal."

Randleman recently was featured in the Arkansas State University "100 Years, 100 Voices" publication which highlighted some of the university's most distinguished alumni. He served last April as the Distinguished Alumni speaker for the ASU College of Fine Arts honors luncheon.

Randleman has maintained a close connection with his hometown, traveling to Rector when possible to visit family and friends, as well as offer advice to the talented young performers at RHS who hope to follow in his footsteps.

He is the son of Scott and Diane Randleman of Rector.