Howie Mandel

Howie Mandel is a comedian, actor and television host, best known for his tenure as a judge on America’s Got Talent. Mandel has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including St. Elsewhere (1982) and Gremlins (1984).

Mandel began his career in Toronto as a stand-up comic. Later, he received opportunities to appear on the show Make Me Laugh in 1979 and 1980 and was the opening act for David Letterman during the summer of 1979.

In 1992, he received his own special, Howie, which aired weekly and featured guests like Gilbert Gottfried, Little Richard and Lita Ford. In 2003, just as Mandel considered quitting show business, NBC producers reached out to him to host Deal or No Deal. He declined several times until they sent him the overseas version of the show, which led him to accept later that same year. He went on to host the Canadian version of the show in 2007. In 2009, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host. In 2019, Deal or No Deal was canceled.

In 2010, Mandel replaced David Hasselhoff as a judge on America’s Got Talent. He currently has the longest tenure of any judge on the show.

Mandel married Terry Mandel in 1980, and they share three children: Jackie (born 1984), Alex (born 1989) and Riley (born 1992).