‘The Price Is Right’ Model James O’Halloran Reveals ‘Hacks & Tricks’ for Winning Big

The Price Is Right has evolved since the Bob Barker era, and no one embodies its modern flair (emphasis on body) quite like James O’Halloran. Joining in 2014 as the show’s second-ever male model, he quickly became a fan favorite. Now, after a decade of presenting prizes, getting playful with Drew Carey, and often serving as (often shirtless) eye candy, TPIR’s Monday, December 9 episode will include a tribute to him.

Ahead of his milestone 10th-anniversary special, O’Halloran sat down with TV Insider for an exclusive interview. The Melbourne native, who grew up watching the Australian version, reflected on the “real privilege” of being its main male model. He also offered tips on mastering its ever-classic element—the games—and the tricks he’s learned to win them.

 

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O’Halloran shared that the key to getting called to come on down from the audience is to match the energy of what’s happening during the taping, as producers are “watching.”

“The best way to be called on is to be super energetic,” he said over Zoom. “Just get very excited and into the present with what’s going on. While the show is happening, the producers are watching for who is engaged. If you’re playing along with the people who are up there, if you’re enthusiastic, they go, ‘Hey, we’ve got a live one here.’”

He also gave rare insight on how to game the system once on stage. O’Halloran can’t name specifics but said that many of the iconic segments have patterns. “There’s definitely a lot of hacks and tricks to a lot of the games. And if you’re paying attention, there’s a lot of patterns.”

“Some of the games, the numbers will always end in zero, so you don’t have to waste your time with other numbers. For some of them, the prices are basically the same number every time. If you’ve watched that game just one other time before, you can do the same answers and you’re going to win. The best way to learn those is to watch the show. Keep an eye out. Look for the patterns. It’s not a coincidence.”

A fitness guru and home DIY expert, O’Halloran may be scoring laughs and turning heads with his Carey-requested antics during The Plinko Game, 3 Strikes, and more (see him doing push-ups as a contestant rushes to win a game above), but he’s paying close attention. He advises players to not ignore, but to listen to the shouting audience and to the subtle hints Carey is permitted to give.

“A lot of the audience are fanatical viewers of the show,” he said. “If you have no idea what’s going on, it is worth listening to them. A lot of these games are not up to chance. It’s the same answer every time, and they’re trying to tell you that.”

“Another tip is to keep an eye on Drew,” he continued. “He won’t tell you the answers, but he wants you to win. If you’re way off, he might go, ‘Could you repeat that?’ Just to give you another chance to maybe switch up your answer. Pay attention to Drew and the audience. He’ll help you as much as he can get away with.”

O’Halloran won a TPIR model search and it was his first big gig in the states (his longest previous acting role was three years). He’s since started a family of his own with his wife, two children, and a rescue dog while becoming a crucial member of the TPIR family. He and host Carey regularly spend time together off-screen, which shines through on-screen as they have quite a winning rapport lobbing jokes at each other left and right.

“We’ve been hanging out off-set for 10 years now,” he said. “Drew would invite me, my girlfriend — now my wife — along to parties and things. We hang out with [announcer] George Grey and [model] Manuela Alvarez and all the other cast. It was the first year that I got to the U.S. that I started on the show. This is my network here in the U.S. We’re real friends in real life.”

He also shared the host’s love of giving away money is not just a put-on, but who he is. “You’ve never met a more generous guy. There was a guy spending his time cleaning the stars on Hollywood Boulevard and he said, ‘The only guy who ever approached me was Drew Carey.’” The host “gave him 100 bucks.”

O’Halloran also confirmed those rumors of inebriated contestants, saying the rowdiest episode every year is 4/20, which sounds like a haze. “We’ve had some definitely intoxicated people on the show. Parts are edited down but you can still tell. We have blooper reels at our wrap parties. I hope they make them public someday.”

Aside from TPIR, O’Hallaran is starring in a third episode of Dr. Odyssey this season. And as far as his tribute episode goes, he promised that being a fan of his will pay off, as he presents all of the hand-picked prize related to his interests including a trip to Sydney, Australia. “It was quite touching for me that they made a moment of this. It’s going to be a really fun episode.”

The Price Is Right, James O’Halloran special episode, Monday, December 9, 11 am ET/10 am PT, CBS