Howie Mandel Does World's First Podcast via Hologram Beam

For a recent episode of his hit podcast Howie Mandel Does Stuff hosted with his daughter Jackie Schultz, AMERICA'S GOT TALENT judge Howie Mandel beamed live from his studio to Montreal, Canada to interview his guests in a Proto Epic hologram device. Howie and Jackie were able to see and hear and interact with the famous comedians they interviewed in real time, just as if they were in THE ROOM together.

Jay Pharoah couldn't believe his eyes - Howie was standing right in front of him but the comedian knew his pal was in another country, thousands of miles away. "Howie!" Jay shouted as he sat down. "Good God! Yo! I'm gonna do my whole tour like this!"

"Welcome to my new COVID box," said Howie, explaining he only travels by hologram now because of his extreme fear of germs, and even became an investor and advisor in the startup. "This is the only podcast where you can meet somebody and swipe right!"

Jay and Howie and Jackie even executed a flawless pandemic-era, virus-proof elbow bump.

The Sklar Brothers talked about an upcoming "Mystery Science Theater" project for UFC, and Preacher Lawson talked about losing his first UFC MMA match. It was a historic first - a podcast episode conducted entirely through holoportation - executed by the original, patented hologram device company.

Proto has been used by comedians like Kenan Thompson - who used it for his Talent Search tour last October, and Andy Kindler, who beamed from Los Angeles to the Just For Laughs Fest in Montreal to deliver his famous "State of the Industry" comedy set. Whitney Cummings has also used Proto. Most recently, former senator and legendary SNL cast member Al Franken tried out Proto.

Outside of comedy some notable stars using Proto include Paris Hilton and Sean "Diddy" Combs (who are both investors and advisors along with Howie), as well as Ellen DeGeneres, Walker Hayes, Logan Paul, Hip Hop super-producer Metro Boomin, Lee Jung-Jae of The Squid Game, and Marshawn Lynch.

After joking about the most famous person who sort-of-shares Hasan's last name ("I DON'T really want to talk about my sister Nicki," said Hasan), they got into a conversation about using Proto to tour, with Howie explaining that he can see and hear the audience in real time - even able to address hecklers. Hasan said, "I love my fellow man too much [to tour by hologram]" and Howie responded, "I love my fellow man and I want to see my fellow man, I just DON'T want to smell my fellow man!"

When Howie first joined Proto in June of 2022, he told Entertainment Tonight: "I figured out a way that I can be close to people without wearing a mask. I'm a germaphobe so I can go places without anybody breathing on me. I can be in nine theaters at once, so I can do a show anywhere, anyplace."

Proto is the original, patented, 4K, volumetric, self-contained holoportation machine, invented in 2018. The company is now working with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, top music and entertainment brands like Spotify, Netflix and HBO, and all the major sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Major League Soccer. Proto launched the smaller Proto M this year for use in offices and homes.

"I had a vision when I created Proto - how to bring people together for real connections when they just can't physically be there in person" said Proto Inventor and CEO David Nussbaum. "And Howie gets it better than almost anyone I've encountered. Howie has an incredible ability to make anything funny but health concerns like suffering with OCD and being a germaphobe are really no laughing matter for a lot of people, so it's wonderful to see him want to use Proto as a solution to this and other real life problems.

He's a pillar in the comedy and entertainment worlds, and the true heavyweight Hollywood power he brings to the role of advisor is amazing."

Mandel is a comedian, television personality, screenwriter, actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, game show host, and author. He's been at the center of American and Canadian pop culture ever since his role on St. Elsewhere, has appeared on every major variety show and worked with the biggest names in comedy. Mandel currently serves as a judge on America's Got Talent, as he has since 2010, and hosts Netflix's series Bullsh*t the Game Show.

"I couldn't be more excited to be working alongside Proto, the most innovative technology company I've ever encountered," said Howie Mandel. "They are taking entertainment, retail, education, marketing, information and so much more to the next level."

Watch the new episode here: