Carol Merrill
Encyclopedia
Carol Merrill was a model for the television game show
Let's Make a Deal
during the show's original run between 1963 and 1977.
. On Let's Make a Deal, Merrill was frequently referred to by Monty Hall by her full name, and thus became one of the first game show models to be known as such, rather than the customary first-name-only naming convention used by such shows as The Price Is Right
. This allowed Merrill to gain wider recognition than other game show models of the time, and her celebrity status has led to many guest appearances on talk shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America
, and Geraldo. As Hall once put it,
, both during 1963. She also played several other small roles in various films in the 1960s and early 1970s.
and spent several years working on various environmental issues. For her environmental work, she received the Hawaii County Mayor's Award of Excellence and the First Lady's Outstanding Volunteer Award from the State of Hawaii.
From 2001 to 2008 she and her husband lived in Australia before returning to Hawaii.
In recent years, Merrill has reappeared on the Biography Channel's episode about Monty Hall, and on several episodes of Hollywood Squares
(serving as a bonus prize model during the show's first Game Show Week in 2002).
in 1987, and in the 1983 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
.
Merrill is the aunt of Carla Gugino
, who has credited Merrill as being the person responsible for getting her interested in show business.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
during the show's original run between 1963 and 1977.
Modeling
While on Let's Make a Deal, Merrill would model the various prizes, present money to contestants, and perform various other tasks as an assistant to host Monty HallMonty Hall
Monte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
. On Let's Make a Deal, Merrill was frequently referred to by Monty Hall by her full name, and thus became one of the first game show models to be known as such, rather than the customary first-name-only naming convention used by such shows as The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
. This allowed Merrill to gain wider recognition than other game show models of the time, and her celebrity status has led to many guest appearances on talk shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, and Geraldo. As Hall once put it,
"I never said 'door' without saying 'Carol Merrill.' 'Let's see what Carol Merrill has behind door No. 2.' 'What Carol Merrill has in the box.' So she and Jay StewartJay StewartJay Fix , known professionally as Jay Stewart, was an American television and radio announcer known primarily for his work on game shows. One of his longest-lasting roles was as the announcer on the game show Let's Make a Deal, which he announced throughout the 1960s and 1970s...
, my announcer, became stars. Everywhere we went, people would say, 'How's Carol?' 'How's Jay?'"
Acting
In addition to her 14-year stint with Let's Make a Deal, Merrill was a model on the short-lived TV series Your Surprise Package, and for one episode of the TV series Burke's LawBurke's Law
Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
, both during 1963. She also played several other small roles in various films in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Other interests
After Let's Make A Deal, Carol began working in the natural health field. She has written articles on various personal health topics for two online newsletters. In 1989, Merrill moved to HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and spent several years working on various environmental issues. For her environmental work, she received the Hawaii County Mayor's Award of Excellence and the First Lady's Outstanding Volunteer Award from the State of Hawaii.
From 2001 to 2008 she and her husband lived in Australia before returning to Hawaii.
In recent years, Merrill has reappeared on the Biography Channel's episode about Monty Hall, and on several episodes of Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
(serving as a bonus prize model during the show's first Game Show Week in 2002).
Family
Carol Merrill has been married to Mark Burgess since 1985. Her daughter, Hilary Safire, appeared as the model for The New Truth or ConsequencesTruth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
in 1987, and in the 1983 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by Sports Illustrated. It features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. According to some, the magazine is the arbiter of supermodel succession. In addition, the issue is a media nexus that in 2005 carried in advertising....
.
Merrill is the aunt of Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
, who has credited Merrill as being the person responsible for getting her interested in show business.