When he was five, Tighe moved with his family from Los Angeles to nearby Pasadena, where he began acting at an early age, auditioning for juvenile leads at the Pasadena Playhouse. He graduated from Pasadena High School in 1962, and went on to attend Pasadena City College before receiving a Bachelor's degree from USC and then an MFA for acting in 1967. After USC, Tighe was drafted into the United States Army. Due to an injury to his finger, he was stationed for two years at Fort Knox rather than being sent to Vietnam.