Howie Mandel
Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian comedian and actor who came to national attention in the United States during a six-year stint on St. Elsewhere. He also did movies, including his role as the voice of Gizmo in the 1984 hit Gremlins, and the role of “Maurice” in the 1989 movie Little Monsters.
He was also the creator and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated children’s animated series Bobby’s World, to which he supplied the voices of the title character and his father. Bobby’s World ran for eight seasons on Fox Broadcasting Company and was later syndicated. He also played the lead role of the professor in the short-lived TV series The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys, and guest-starred on a 1996 episode of the ABC TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as DC Comics supervillain Mister Mxyzptlk. He also hosted his own syndicated talk show, The Howie Mandel Show, which was cancelled after one season on the air. Mandel appeared in the 1995 Clint Black country music video Summer’s Coming. Mandel’s signature stunt as a stand-up comedian was stretching a rubber glove over his head and inflating it with his nostrils. He eventually gave up the routine after a mishap that resulted in a burst sinus. More recently, he is known for his frequent appearances as a stand-up comedian and for his hidden camera segments on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Also, he has appeared in many television commercials for Boston Pizza as its hired spokesperson. In April 2004, he was selected as number 82 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. In October 2005, he was named to be the host of the U.S. version of Deal or No Deal, which debuted on December 19, 2005, on NBC and became a popular program in early 2006. Mandel will also host a version for Canada that will be taped in Toronto and will air in 2007 on Global TV.
Mandel is currently performing a variety/comedy act at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
