Howie Mandel on America's Got Talent, His OCD, and Why Comedy Is the Best Medicine
The comedian, actor, and America's Got Talent judge spoke with Premier Guide Miami about his decades in entertainment, his very public battle with OCD, and what keeps him laughing.
From the Vault · 2012
This is an archival piece from the Premier Guide Miami collection. The coverage, context, and details reflect the time it was originally published.
Howie Mandel said it plainly: "OCD is real and it's hard, but it's also part of who I am. I've learned to work with it instead of against it. And hones…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.
Howie Mandel has been making people laugh for over three decades — from his stand-up beginnings to St. Elsewhere to Deal or No Deal to his current role as a judge on America's Got Talent. Along the way, he has also become one of the most prominent public voices about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Premier Guide Miami sat down with Mandel to talk about his career, his mental health advocacy, and what he looks for in the contestants on AGT.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: You've been very open about your OCD. Why was it important to you to speak publicly about it?
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HOWIE MANDEL: OCD is real and it's hard, but it's also part of who I am. I've learned to work with it instead of against it. And honestly, some of my best comedy comes from the darkest places. If talking about it helps one person feel less alone, that's worth everything.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What do you look for when you're judging on America's Got Talent?
HOWIE MANDEL: The moment. That moment when someone walks out and you have no idea what's about to happen and then they blow you away. That's what the show is about. You can't fake that. Either you have it or you don't.
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