Howie Mandel has been gracing our TV screen since he first stepped into the Hollywood world in 1984. He began his career voicing the character of Gizmo in Gremlins, later starring in Walk Like a Man and St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988. He went on to become a TV personality; he began hosting Deal or No Deal in 2005 and joined America's Got Talent in 2010. He also hosted Netflix's Bullsh*t at the Game Show in 2022.
Replacing David Hasselhoff in 2010, he joined the AGT team on NBC and has had the longest tenure of any host or judge, joining in season 5. In October 2021, it was announced that would judge on the second season of Canada's Got Talent.
It's safe to say he's quite the hard-working man, but when he isn't on TV he can be found at home enjoying downtime with his family and wife of over 40 years, Terry Mandel.
Who is Terry Mandel?
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Terry was born on August 26, 1955, in Toronto Canada, later relocating to the U.S. She now lives in Los Angeles. She studied at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute, later transferring to Harvard University where she earned a business degree. Like her husband, Terry is no stranger to the entertainment world and currently works as a talent manager and producer.
Howie and Terry have a love story straight out of a fairytale. They both grew up as childhood friends and met when they were 12 years old. Despite knowing each other at such a young age, the two didn't date until high school.
"We drove to the movies in my mother's Cutlass Supreme. The car hit an ice patch and wound up teetering on its side before coming down on four wheels," Howie said.
Mandel popped the question to Terry in a deli.
"I was sitting in a deli, and I'd bought a loose diamond, and I put it on the table and said, 'I got to go to the bathroom, but if you want to make a ring go ahead,'" Mandel told Streets of Toronto.
Terry has made quite an impact on Howie's career, even convincing him to take the Deal or No Deal job after the comedian wanted to turn down the gig.
"In 2005, when I got asked to do a game show, there [were] no comics hosting game shows," he told The Gazette. "And I said no to it three times. My wife told me to take the deal, and I took the deal."
Family Life
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The couple got married on March 16, 1980, later expanding their family and welcoming three children. Their eldest child, Jackelyn Shultz was born in 1984. Alex followed in 1989 and Riley was born in 1992.
"What I try to teach my kids, is that life isn't about making money or getting famous," Mandel told Parade magazine in 2006. (quote via People). "If you're doing something you look forward to and it's fun, then you've made it. I happen to be lucky that way. The things that I look forward to and the things that I do for a living are one and the same."
Two of the couple's three kids did follow in their parents footsteps and work in the entertainment field. Daughter Jackelyn Schultz hosts a podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, with her dad, in which the two do everything from discussing movies to interviewing guests.
Son Alex Mandel has worked as an actor and director, with credits in House Meeting and Killer Holiday. Lately, he works as a video creator.
Youngest child Riley Mandel graduated with her doctorate degree in 2018.
Secret to Their Relationship
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Howie explains that both he and Terry are very supportive of one another's career and their gift for balancing their busy schedules with their marriage has been a benefit to their relationship.
"The more career I have, the better the marriage is," Mandel told Streets of Toronto. "People ask us, 'How do you make it last so long?' My wife says it's because I'm always on the road. When I'm up in Canada filming Canada's Got Talent and she's not there with me, it makes her love me even more."
Mandel has also called Terry the secret to his success.
"The secret for me is my wife," he said. "People have seen me on television or in concert and think I'm fun, and I probably am for a couple of hours, but living with me is not easy. I have a hard time living with me, and I'm seeing professionals to learn to cope with myself, and I take medication, so the fact that she has put up with me for 43 years is amazing. This question is for her. If there are any awards to be given out, please give them to my wife. She deserves it. I appreciate her and feel like the luckiest guy in the world."
A Birthday To Remember
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Throughout his career, the comedian has repeatedly stated that his wife has a special place in her heart for animals. On her birthday, Howie surprised his bride with an elephant that he rented to bring to their home! While appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he said he wanted to go all out, not realizing how hard it would be to have an actual elephant in their home.
Apparently, on that day there were no guests or food for the celebration, just the animal who needed to stay at their home for a minimum of 12 hours. Unfortunately, the elephant reportedly made a mess at their home, ripping up their backyard palm trees, breaking their sprinkler system, sinking into muddy holes, and, as expected, left elephant poop everywhere. Unfortunately, the big surprise cost the comedian a whopping $45,000 in damages! Yikes, talk about a big birthday surprise.
The couple does like to joke around, with Terry posting several funny Instagram posts and throwback videos of the couple pranking each other. To celebrate their 42 years of marriage last year, Howie posted a video on his social media showing the couple as teenage lovers, to now.
"My eyes were so much more beautiful," Terry said, with Howie cutting in, "No you're beautiful now."
