Deal Or No Deal: Who Plays The Banker & What Has He Done Lately?
It's easy to understand the appeal of "Deal or No Deal." Contestants don't need trivia knowledge; they simply need to guess correctly and be extremely lucky to wind up with the most money possible. Along the way, participants receive offers from the mysterious banker, often represented as a non-descript silhouette. They can walk away with whatever the banker offers or keep playing for a chance to win even more (or a lot less).
Despite the show's popularity, many people may not know who was the banker on "Deal or No Deal." Howie Mandel, who went on to become one of the richest game show hosts ever, may have been the face of the program, but the actor who originated the role in the U.S. version of the show is Peter Abbay. He also provided the voice of the character in the 2006 video game.
According to the actor's IMDb, there are quite a few places where audiences can actually see his face. He's appeared in episodes for "Another World," "Punk'd," and "House." His last TV credit was for a 2017 episode of "Missing Person Finders." While there's not much information on what Abbay is up to these days, it's important to note he wasn't the only banker throughout the tenure of "Deal or No Deal."
Carrie Lauren became the banker for the Deal or No Deal revival
"Deal or No Deal" had several successful seasons on NBC when Peter Abbay was the banker. The show retained its popularity when it went into syndication, but new episodes started coming out in 2018 on CNBC. Howie Mandel returned to host, but the banker was different. Noticeably, the silhouette was now of a woman, and the actress playing her was Carrie Lauren.
She was also a seasoned performer by the time "Deal or No Deal" came around. Her early credits include "All That" and "Mortal Kombat: Conquest." More recently, she's starred in short films and TV movies, but anyone wanting to stay up-to-date with the former banker can follow her on Instagram. She regularly posts photos of her dogs as well as recent projects, including a commercial she starred in for Midflorida CU.
This doesn't even get into bankers featured on international versions of "Deal or No Deal." Plus, the banker's mythology will only continue to grow with the forthcoming "Deal or No Deal Island." The new series blends the classic game show with "Survivor," where contestants are placed on the banker's mysterious island to find profitable briefcases. It all leads to a dramatic showdown between the banker. Will the banker be someone new or a blast from the past? That remains to be seen.