Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Meet the NBC All Stars: Howie Mandel

Host Howie Mandel can be seen on NBC's hit show "Deal or No Deal" where he helps contestants beat the banker and win up to a million dollars in cold hard cash.

Howie Mandel's versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, ranging from television to film and stage. From his work on the Emmy Award-winning "St. Elsewhere" to the international (and also Emmy-nominated) "Bobby's World," Mandel has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Mandel 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 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 he spent six seasons as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the NBC drama.

Mandel's Emmy-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 storylines from real life.

Mandel 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 NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," performing his signature hidden-camera bits. He also is one of the first people that Regis Philbin 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 United States and Canada.

Mandel lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Terry, and their three children.