Howie Mandel is America's Got Talent's resident prankster, and he's even teamed up with Simon Cowell to pull a practical joke or two. As it turns out, the comedian has been getting up to plenty of mischief since he was a teenager, and he even got expelled from high school after masterminding one of the most genius pranks ever.
During a 2021 appearance on Jeff Dunham's podcast, the 67-year-old recalled his epic hoax. "I called out of the Yellow Pages…I was just in the Yellow Pages that were in the house and I saw a construction company, so I called the construction company. I didn't know where this is leading but I called [and] they said, you know, 'So-and-so construction,' and I said 'Yes uh, my name's Howie Mandel – I didn't even change my voice!
© Getty"I found that authenticity works, not only in my career but like, if you don't try too hard, people don't smell you trying too hard, right. So, 'My name's Howie Mandel, and I'm calling about this school. We're interested in adding an addition to the library about 40 feet into the western field and I would love if I could get a quote on that. Can you tell me when you'll be there?'"
Making the prank even more hilarious, Howie explained: "I knew that I took math class at 3:10 or 2:10pm or whatever, and math class overlooked that field so I said 'If you can be there between 2:10 and 2:40 you know, that would be great.'
© Photo: Getty Images"So now, I'm sitting in math class and I see a guy in the field with a tape measure and he's got a little tool belt and he's doing all this. Then I see…and everybody's sitting in math, I didn't even tell a friend – I didn't have a friend. And then I look and I see the vice principal walking out to the field and talking to the guy, and I just see gestures and I'm just giggling in class.
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Howie added: "The teacher stops me – 'Howard, Howard, Howard,' and I go 'Nothing, I'm sorry' and I can't say 'Look on the field and I didn't tell anybody' and within five minutes, I hear 'Will Howard Mandel please come down to the office'."
It's not the first time that Howie has talked about his legendary pranks – clearly, he was born to be a comedian. In a 2015 interview with Streets of Toronto Howie explained: "Getting in trouble was fun for me. I didn't have an audience".
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe publication also noted that Howie was expelled from another school for throwing a chocolate bar in the pool. Speaking to Houston Matters host, Craig Cohen, in 2019, the AGT star confirmed that he was "asked to leave" three different schools in total. "Everything I've been punished for, expelled for, hit for is what I get paid for today," he said.
