The mystery banker on NBC’s hit game show Deal or No Deal is no banker – he’s a struggling actor who makes ends meet as a bartender!
The Deal Banker perched behind tinted glass is actually 42-year-old Peter Abbay, who mixes drinks at the popular West Hollywood bar The Belmont, The ENQUIRER has learned.
And those phone calls Deal host Howie Mandel receives from The Banker, offering tempting financial deals to the show’s contestants, don’t really come from the Banker – they’re from one of the producers backstage!
"Peter has the easiest job on the show," a source revealed. "He’s paid to sit in a chair behind tinted glass, twirl a pen in his fingers and pretend to call Howie when it’s time to make a deal."
But being the Mystery Banker is not without its frustrations.
"Peter has told pals it’s nerve-racking waiting for contestants to decide whether they should take the deal or continue playing and risk losing everything," said the source. "He jokes that sometimes it’s so monotonous that he’d like to throw something at the contestants to hurry them up!"
Before his stint on Deal, Peter had a recurring role as Logan on the daytime soap Another World. He’s also appeared in a number of movies and other TV shows, including House M.D. and Ashton Kutcher‘s Punk’d.
And while his "Deal" gig is as easy as falling off a bar stool, Peter – who’s also an avid boxer and pool player – is "definitely one of the best bartenders in Los Angeles," said the source.
