Howie Mandel

Early life and career beginnings

Howard Michael Mandel was born on November 29, 1955, in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in the city's Bathurst Manor neighbourhood. His family background is Jewish, with ancestors from Romania and Poland, and he is a distant cousin of violinist Itzhak Perlman. Mandel attended William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute but was expelled, after which he worked as a carpet salesman. His entry into show business began on the stand-up comedy stage at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, where by September 1978 he was billed as a featured act described as a wild and crazy borderline psychotic. A performance at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles led to him being hired as a regular performer at that venue and caught the attention of a producer for the syndicated game show Make Me Laugh.

Mandel made several appearances on Make Me Laugh during its run in 1979 and 1980, which helped raise his profile. In the summer of 1979, he was booked to open for David Letterman at a series of shows. His big break in Canadian television came in October 1979 when the head of variety programming for CBC-TV saw his act and immediately signed him for a television special. The following year, Mandel won the lead role in the Canadian film Gas, co-starring Susan Anspach and Donald Sutherland. During this early period, he also served as one of the first video jockeys for Nickelodeon's music video series PopClips, demonstrating his adaptability across different media formats from the outset of his career.

Breakthrough in film and television

Mandel's career shifted to national prominence in the United States in 1982 when he was cast as the rowdy emergency room resident Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere, a role he played for six years opposite actors like Ed Flanders and Norman Lloyd. While working on the series, he continued his film work, most notably providing the voice of the beloved mogwai Gizmo in the 1984 hit film Gremlins and its 1990 sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In 1985, he made a cameo in a short film directed by Michael J. Fox that aired on Late Night with David Letterman. The following year, he starred in the comedy A Fine Mess alongside Ted Danson and released his comedy album Fits Like a Glove, named for his signature stunt of inflating a latex glove with his nostrils.

Mandel's stand-up comedy remained a core part of his work, and he performed a tour called the Watusi Tour in 1986, followed by a Watusi music video in 1987. He also lent his voice to the first two seasons of Muppet Babies, providing the voices for characters Bunsen Honeydew, Animal, and Skeeter. In 1990, he created, executive produced, and supplied voices for the Emmy-nominated animated children's series Bobby's World, which became a defining project. The show, featuring the voice of young Bobby and his father, ran for seven seasons on Fox and entered syndication, cementing Mandel's reputation as a family entertainer. His other television projects from this era include the 1990 Fox sitcom Good Grief, which was short-lived, and his self-titled comedy show Howie in 1992, which featured a house band with guitarist Lita Ford and regular appearances by his character Bobby.

Game show hosting and mainstream fame

Howie Mandel's role as a game show host began in December 2005 when he was named host of the American version of Deal or No Deal, which debuted on NBC and quickly became a popular primetime hit. The show's success led to a Canadian version, Deal or No Deal Canada, which Mandel also hosted from Toronto beginning in January 2007 on Global Television. This made him one of the few hosts to front both a domestic and an international version of the same game show. In September 2008, he began hosting a syndicated daytime version of Deal or No Deal that aired five days a week. Mandel's hosting tenure expanded further when he returned to host a revival of the show on CNBC in December 2018, also serving as an executive producer.

His game show portfolio continued to grow with new formats. In December 2012, he hosted the six-night special game show Take It All on NBC. A decade later, in April 2022, Netflix released the trivia deception game Bullsh*t: The Game Show with Mandel as host, marking his first game show since the CNBC Deal or No Deal ended in 2019. The show challenged contestants to win up to one million dollars by convincing judges their trivia answers were correct, whether they were truthful or not. In June 2025, it was announced that Mandel would host a Canadian spin-off of the classic franchise, titled The Price Is Right Tonight, set to begin in 2026. Mandel has also been credited as an executive producer on the reality game show spin-off Deal or No Deal Island in 2024, where he was revealed as the secretive banker for the first season.

• Deal or No Deal (NBC): Host from December 2005.
• Deal or No Deal Canada (Global): Host from January 2007.
• Deal or No Deal (CNBC revival): Host and executive producer from December 2018.
• Take It All (NBC): Host for six-night special in December 2012.
• Bullsh*t: The Game Show (Netflix): Host for 10-episode season in April 2022.
• The Price Is Right Tonight: Host from 2026.

Got Talent franchise and other television roles

In January 2010, Mandel joined the judging panel of NBC's America's Got Talent, replacing David Hasselhoff. He has served as a judge for 17 consecutive seasons, from season five onward, giving him the longest tenure of any judge or host in the show's history. His role on the popular talent competition series has kept him in the public eye for over a decade. In October 2021, it was announced that Mandel would also join the judging panel for the second season of Canada's Got Talent, which aired in 2022, marking a full-circle return to Canadian television. Beyond talent shows, Mandel has maintained a presence in scripted and reality programming.

He created and starred in the 1995 Showtime sketch comedy series Howie Mandel's Sunny Skies and hosted his own syndicated talk show, The Howie Mandel Show, in 1998, though it was cancelled after one season. Mandel executive-produced the TBS hidden-camera show Deal with It from 2013 to 2014. He has made numerous guest appearances on series such as Monk, where he played a cult leader in a 2008 episode, The Big Bang Theory in 2012, and My Name Is Earl, where he reprised his latex glove routine. In 2023, he competed as Rock Lobster on the ninth season of The Masked Singer, being eliminated on ABBA Night. Since February 2021, Mandel has co-hosted the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast with his daughter, Jackelyn Shultz, discussing pop culture and conducting interviews.

Personal life and health advocacy

Howie Mandel has been married to Terry Mandel since 1980, and the couple has three children. He is a noted fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and lives in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. Mandel has been open about his health challenges, including being colourblind and having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which he revealed on Live with Regis and Kelly in October 2008. He has worked to raise public awareness about adult ADHD. In January 2009, he was briefly hospitalized in Toronto for chest pains and an irregular heartbeat, though reports of a heart attack were inaccurate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandel contracted the virus at the 2022 Kids' Choice Awards, causing him to miss episodes of America's Got Talent, and he has spoken about the lockdown exacerbating struggles with substance abuse.

Mandel's most publicly discussed condition is obsessive-compulsive disorder, which manifests in part as mysophobia, a fear of germs. This affects his interactions, leading him to avoid handshakes, often opting for fist bumps instead, a behaviour well-known from his Deal or No Deal hosting. He has stated that his shaved head, which he adopted in 1999, is related to his OCD and makes him feel cleaner. Mandel has traced a potential origin of his mysophobia to a childhood incident in Florida where sandfly larvae developed under his skin, requiring removal with liquid nitrogen. He takes medication for his condition and has used comedy to address it, including in an appearance on Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening in 2018. Mandel published an autobiography, Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me, detailing his life with OCD, ADHD, and his comedy career.

Business ventures and recognition

Beyond entertainment, Howie Mandel is an active technology investor and futurist. In 2021, he invested in MetaMedia's MagicScreen, a platform for interactive movie theatre experiences. The following year, he became an investor and frequent user of Proto Hologram technology, using it for virtual appearances such as beaming himself into JFK Airport's Terminal 4 to surprise travellers. Mandel has also been a commercial spokesperson, notably for Boston Pizza and the online retailer buy.com. His recognitions in the industry include receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, 2008. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked him number 82 on its list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time.

Mandel was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto on September 12, 2009, honouring his contributions to Canadian culture. In 2025, he was a signatory of the Creative Community for Peace open letter, which condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement within the television and film industry. His career longevity is reflected in his ability to adapt to new media, from traditional television to podcasting and tech investments, while maintaining a consistent presence as a comedian and host. These business activities and honours illustrate the broad scope of his influence beyond performing.

Selected filmography and voice work

Howie Mandel's work across film and animation includes live-action comedy and well-known voice roles. His early film work includes the 1980 Canadian movie Gas and the 1986 comedy A Fine Mess. He is best known in film for voicing Gizmo in the Gremlins franchise, a role that endeared him to a generation of fans. In television, his six-year run on St. Elsewhere established him as a dramatic actor, while his creation of Bobby's World defined his work in animation for nearly a decade. The following table highlights key projects across his career.

In addition to these credits, Mandel voiced the lead character in the 1994 video game Tuneland and played the Sand Man in the 2002 film Hansel and Gretel. His guest roles extend to series like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, where he played Mister Mxyzptlk in 1996, and Fugget About It, where he voiced an FBI agent in 2013. His cameo appearances, such as on The Big Bang Theory in 2012, often play on his public persona, blending his real-life identity with his comedic talents and illustrating the breadth of his television work. Mandel also appeared in a week's worth of episodes of the short-lived NBC game show Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in March 1984.

Questions about Howie Mandel

What is Howie Mandel best known for?

Howie Mandel is best known for several major roles across his long career. He gained fame as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere and as the voice of Gizmo in the Gremlins movies. For a generation of viewers, he is recognized as the host of the game show Deal or No Deal and its Canadian counterpart. Since 2010, he has been a judge on America's Got Talent, holding the longest tenure of any judge on the show. He also created and voiced characters in the animated children's series Bobby's World.

Is Howie Mandel on Canada's Got Talent?

Yes, Howie Mandel joined the judging panel for the second season of Canada's Got Talent. His involvement was announced in October 2021, and the season aired in 2022. This role adds to his duties as a judge on the American version of the show, America's Got Talent, where he has served since 2010. His participation marks a return to prominent Canadian television, connecting him with homegrown talent.

What game shows has Howie Mandel hosted?

Howie Mandel has hosted numerous game shows, beginning with the American version of Deal or No Deal on NBC in 2005. He also hosted Deal or No Deal Canada in 2007 and a daytime syndicated version in 2008. He hosted the CNBC revival of Deal or No Deal from 2018 to 2019. Other hosting credits include the 2012 NBC special Take It All and the 2022 Netflix series Bullsh*t: The Game Show. In 2026, he is set to begin hosting the Canadian version of The Price Is Right, titled The Price Is Right Tonight.

Does Howie Mandel have OCD?

Yes, Howie Mandel has spoken publicly about having obsessive-compulsive disorder, which includes mysophobia, a fear of germs. This condition affects his daily life and interactions, leading him to avoid shaking hands, often using fist bumps instead. He has traced a potential cause to a traumatic childhood experience with sandfly larvae. Mandel takes medication for his OCD and has used his platform to raise awareness, including writing an autobiography titled Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me that details his experiences.

What investments has Howie Mandel made in technology?

Howie Mandel is an active tech investor and futurist. In 2021, he invested in MetaMedia's MagicScreen, which focuses on interactive experiences for movie theatres. In 2022, he became an investor and frequent user of Proto Hologram technology, a holographic display system. He has used this technology for personal appearances, such as beaming a hologram of himself into JFK Airport to surprise travellers. These investments reflect his interest in innovative media and entertainment technologies.

What awards and recognition has Howie Mandel received?

Howie Mandel has received significant recognition for his work in entertainment. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, 2008. In 2009, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. Comedy Central ranked him number 82 on its list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time in 2004. His animated series Bobby's World was nominated for an Emmy Award during its run from 1990 to 1998.

Sources and further reading

• Howie Mandel (Wikipedia)
• Howie Mandel, Actor, Comedian, Game Show Host (tvinsider.com)
• Howie Mandel | People | Pioneers of Television (pbs.org)
• Howie Mandel Movies & TV Shows List (rottentomatoes.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-31.