TV Filter: What made you decide to go for "Deal or No Deal" in the first place?

 

Thorpe Schoenle: I was driving in my car and I heard they were going to have a casting call downtown.  I told Kara about the casting call and mentioned it would be fun if she got on and she said "You should go on it."  I was thinking to myself it wasn't gonna happen but decided to follow her intuition on this and head down to it. 

 

TVF: How did you get on?

 

TS: I don't know exactly how I got on...I think being a fireman maybe have been the first initial draw but they seemed to like my energy and my ability to convey excitement and fun in whatever scenario they set up during the interview.  I was just myself. I didn't try to be anything other than and had fun!

 

TVF: What was the audition like?

 

It was a lot of fun. They would bring you in along with 39 others and have you stand 10 at a table with 4 tables set up.  They would just have you talk a little about yourself and ask a couple questions about you as a person and what you liked about the show.  They also asked if you were a "Deal "or "No Deal" kind of person and I was defintely about the DEAL!

 

TVF: What was going on between the time you were selected and taping?

 

Anxiety....lots of time spent on the phone discussing my life and my family and kind of feeling out what makes me tick and how do I go through life.  It was a very intense process that required many many hours of talk time...with many different producers.

 

TVF: How did you select who you wanted on your support team?

 

I was told to supply a list of people who would be fun to bring on the show and asked why I wanted them.  I gave a big list of about 25 people I thought would make really good supporters.  The show producers had the final say on who was brought on the show.

TVF: What was your game plan?

 

I went into the game with 2 core strategies, with which Al my friend was privy to as well as my wife and mother.  All I am able to tell you (Pirates never give their secrets away) is that AL my supporter was an amazing asset on that stage and I got as far as I did because of him.  Without some of his help getting me back on track I might have been one of those shows you hate watching....

 

 

TVF: What was the process of taping the show actually like?

 

WOW!  Just a Blast!  You just can't believe all that is involved in making a show.  You have no idea all the preparation, the camera work, the lights, the makeup, the everything.  It's just a blast to have fun with.  I really got a taste of just a little of what happens with TV and I love it!  I just had a blast with this whole process.

 

TVF: How nervous were you?

 

It was one of the most nerve-racking yet rewarding for the pressure I have ever done.  I mean let's be honest...I turned down some really high offers and all kidding aside I could have easily have failed as well as I succeeded. 

 

TVF: What's Howie Mandel like in person?

 

Just a lot of fun and a great person to meet.  He was really down to earth and one of those people I got the sense you wouldn't have a problem inviting him over to your house even if it's messy for dinner.  He wouldn't judge you ....he would just be fun to have over.

 

TVF: Who was your favorite model?

 

Well by far my favorite 2 models even before they came over to hand me over the money were Claudia and Tricia....while taping my show they both stuck out in my mind because they made references to me and made it personal with them while I played the game.  Claudia loves my laugh and being someone who loves to make people laugh with me, it's fun to see someone else enjoy my laugh with me.  Trisha is a fellow Chicagoan who lived on the North Side and even through the pressures of childhood to be a Cubs fan ...she is a avid White Sox fan. They are both out of this world beautiful and great to hang out with!  Very endearing things.

 

TVF: How does being on the show compare to your job as a firefighter?

 

Very similar rushes of adrenaline and at the end both leave you spent and feeling rewarded!

 

TVF: Why didn't you select the case that represented the one your wife wanted?

 

Well...here is the deal behind the case.  My wife when it is all said and done loves the decision I made and she says I made the right choice...being a winner is a good thing I think....:P

 

TVF: Now you started off by knocking off a couple of the relatively high dollar amounts early on. What was going through your head at that point?

 

Yeah...WOW!  So I start the game out by opening the $750,000.00 case to start the game.  It kind of threw me for a loop and the whole first two rounds after opening that case I was floundering.  I got back on track on the third round and Al helped get me back on my feet and keep the ship floating towards victory. I was thinking when I opened the $750,000.00 case that "Man this is not the way to start this game!"

 

TVF: What made you keep on playing as long as you did?

 

I got on a roll and in a zone and strategy determined whether I go on or stop.  I stopped the time I should have and because of that I am the highest winner in "Deal or No Deal" history up to this point!

 

TVF: Talk about the support you got from your wife, your mom and Al.

 

It was fantastic and also priceless. They all played an important part of the game.  It was great to see early on my wife and mom pushing me onward to go for the big money and Al wanted me to contemplate the 6 figure mark.  But then when we breached into the $300,000.00 mark they changed positions and Al helped amazingly with some awesome picks that rocked us forward into the highest winner ever.  I am thankful for all of their help on the show!

 

TVF: What made you take that deal instead of going for more?

 

It was the time to stop playing the game strategically.  Heres the deal!  It was down to a 75% negative effect for me...I had 3 large boxes and 1 small with $5000 in it.  The only way for me to get a better offer is to knock out the $5000 case... if I hit any of the others I go down in my offer from the banker.  If I knock out the $1,000,000 box which had the same probability to get knocked out as the $5000  box then I lose big.  I would have been forced to play to the end regardless of offer because I had to figure I had a big case.  So what would have been the best in this case scenario? Maybe $500,000.  That is only $36,000.00 more than where I was at.  It was the time to deal and thats why I did it!