Let’s Make a Deal Season 12, Episode: 26 Akeem Mair as Superhero Zonk!

 

The first iconic TV show Let’s Make a Deal has been a part of countless American homes since 1963. The show created by Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall has been a source of family entertainment for the past 30 years and has been passed on from one generation to another. Professional actor Akeem Mair has always been one of those who was fascinated by the show, and it is for this reason that when the opportunity to be part of the program presented itself, Akeem did everything possible to get it. 

Initially, it was Akeem’s cousin who received the invitation to appear on the show. Fortunately for him, his cousin had no interest in it and instead presented the idea to him. Without any delay, Akeem emailed Valeria Pitman from Pitman Casting about his interest in being a contestant on Let’s Make a Deal. A few days later, Akeem received a response and got invited to an interview with casting producer Jerry Artukovich. The interview went well for Akeem, and when asked which game he wanted to play, he went for Go Big or Go Home. 

Three months after his interview, Akeem received an email from casting associate producer and coordinator Chelsea Spence informing him of the show’s desire to have him on the program. Elated with the news, Akeem prepared for the big day enthusiastically and decided to wear a Green Lantern costume. He was only allowed to wear it, however, if he covers the logo on his chest. Evelyn Bradfield, the contestant producer, gave him the exciting idea of putting a Zonk sticker so he can go as Let’s Make A Deal’s superhero, “Zonk!” 

Before the taping, Akeem checked out Let’s Make A Deal’s Twitter page, where the Quickie Deal items were listed: a mustard packet, an eraser, and a roll of pennies. He went out to secure the mustard packer and a roll of pennies. Much to his utter surprise, Jonathan Mangum turned to him during the show and asked if he followed them on Twitter. He then proceeded to ask Akeem if he happened to have a packet of mustard with him. And because Akeem did have a packet of mustard with him, he got to win $500. For the promising actor, being on the program was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he will never forget. 

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Speak the Lyrics ft. Akeem Mair

The Ellen Show was one of the most widely watched programs on television!! Akeem Mair makes a splash on Ellen DeGeneres’s show with one of her top writers, Lauren Pomerantz!! 

It happened when I was in acting class at the time. I swear my phone kept buzzing every 5 minutes like crazy. My friends and family kept blowing up my phone up with texts like, “you were on The Ellen Show??? Call me!” They were thrilled seeing me on the recurring humor segment called “Speak The Lyrics.” A show where one of Ellen’s writers walks up to a complete stranger and begins speaking to them in song lyrics.

I swear I had no idea it was on TV because I was in a class, ‘On Set/On Camera’ breaking down being realistic with your actions in a scene taught by David Rountree. I originally had no idea I was even being filmed for The Ellen Show. A couple months earlier, I stopped at a Barnes and Noble in Burbank. I notice a bunch of film crew standing outside so I asked one of the crew members, “What’s going on?” None of them claim they knew any information about what’s going on. I walked in and checked out some books and was on my way out when I notice a 2pac record and stopped at the record section. That’s when Lauren appeared.

The hilarious segment puts some of Ellen DeGeneres’ writers in a public setting with hidden cameras that also record the conversation that takes place between them and a complete unsuspecting stranger. The catch is, the writers only get to use lyrics from a song when engaging a stranger. How the person responds to the incoherent statements being thrown at them is usually the funniest part of the segment. In Akeem Mair’s case, the show’s staff was using lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song titled Me! 

I remember Coach Mike lessons of being completely confident and don’t disagree with what anyone says while their improving. Next thing I know, I was signing some papers and it airs on TV, Ellen calling it, “The best episode she’s ever seen!”

Unlike other strangers seen in past episodes of the segment who tend to shy away from the situation, Akeem Mair, being the experienced actor that he is, acted confidently and comfortably in engaging the show’s writer in a conversation that did not make sense at all. The whole segment with Akeem turned out to be such a treat for followers of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the actor gained instant popularity online, much to his surprise. 

On Ellen Show’s YouTube channel, the segment with Akeem Mair reached more than 700,000 views and more than 5 million on Instagram. Akeem Mair’s brief stint on the Ellen DeGeneres Show landed in the instagram feed of his future agent, Sarah Angeli from Commercial Talent Agency. The timing was perfect because I had just submitted my headshots and resume to her last week. So when I walked into her office for my agent meeting, she had my episode cued up on her computer. She was like, “I just saw this yesterday and here you are!” She played it again and we both smiled and laughed. I’ll never forget that experience, it was God’s blessings written all over it. 

Akeem Mair’s words, “I learned that life is an unexpected audition, especially in the land of Hollywood. You never know when your opportunity is so always be ready!!”

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