WHILE Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years, he has been thrust back in the spotlight as the host of what has become a national phenomenon "Deal or No Deal."
The show has become an instant hit and is consistently one of the most watched programs each week. NBC has put the show on both Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and the ratings continue to grow each week. The show allows contestants to have a chance of becoming an instant millionaire combining nothing more then instinct with luck.
Mandel's versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage. From his work on the Emmy-Award winning "St. Elsewhere," to the international (and also Emmy nominated) "Bobby's World," he has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.
He started his career on a dare during a trip to Los Angeles in 1979. He was at the legendary Comedy Store on amateur night and Mandel was coaxed by his friends to get up and try his luck.
As fate would have it, there was a producer in the crowd who immediately hired him to appear on the comedy game show "Make Me Laugh". His appearance on the show led to talk show appearances, a stint as Diana Ross' opening act and eventually to the television series, "St. Elsewhere," where Mandel spent six seasons as "Dr. Wayne Fiscus" on the award-winning NBC drama.
Mandel's Emmy Award-nominated animated children series, "Bobby's World", ran eight seasons on FOX and now appears in syndication six days a week in 65 countries. As the series' creator and executive producer, Mandel was closely involved in its writing, as well as providing the voice of Bobby, Bobby's dad and other characters. Mandel attributes the show's success to drawing the story lines from real life.
He has done countless comedy specials both on cable and network television. He has also hosted his own syndicated talk show, "The Howie Mandel Show," and continues to be a mainstay on the talk show circuit.
He frequently appears on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno performing his signature hidden-camera bits. He also is one of the first people that Regis calls to fill in for him when he takes a vacation from "Live with Regis and Kelly." Mandel also continues to perform as many as 200 concerts a year throughout the US and Canada.
Mandel lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Terry, and their three children.
Mandel arrived in Manila last Tuesday to tape a special episode of Deal or No Deal in the country with Kris Aquino as co-host, as part of the show's ongoing world tour.
He was welcomed by ABS-CBN officials led by business unit head Alou Almaden at the airport. He will be touring around Manila to showcase the city's top spots in the two-hour episode that will be shown in America on May 7 with American contestant playing the game of odds following the Philippine format but the US prizes. (Press release)
