While on a trip to Los Angeles in 1979, native Canadian Howie Mandel made a big splash on amateur night at the Comedy Store. Soon the neophyte funnyman was booking professional gigs both on stage and TV. In 1982 he was cast in a dramatic role on NBC's St. Elsewhere, and during the series' six seasons, he made a number of TV comedy specials and branched out onto the big screen in a string of comedies, including The Funny Farm and A Fine Mess. In the 1990s Mandel signed on to a variety of short-lived TV projects including a sitcom (Good Grief) and an eponymous daytime talk show, but it was his Emmy-nominated animated series Bobby's World, which ran for eight seasons, that had the most success. Mandel also kept busy with live performances and regular talk-show appearances, including frequent hidden-camera segments on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno, but didn't take center stage again until 2005 when he became the host of NBC's Deal or No Deal. The wildly popular game show led to triple hosting duties for Mandel, who took the helm of the Canadian and syndicated versions as well. In late 2009, he released Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me, a memoir detailing his struggles with OCD and ADHD and how each has affected his career. A few months later, NBC announced that Mandel would take over David Hasselhoff's judging seat on the summer series America's Got Talent. Off screen, Mandel plays the role of husband and father with his wife, Terry, and their three kids in Los Angeles.