January 13th, 2008
Hayley Marie Norman is one of the most recognizable briefcase models on Deal or No Deal, holding case # 25 on every episode. Don't make the mistake of stereotyping Hayley, though. She's a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and has studied at such schools as Cal Arts, University of the Arts (Philadelphia, and the National Theatre Education Space in London.
In addition to her Deal or No Deal gig, Hayley plays the recurring role of Kaylee on The Young and the Restless. She's also an up-and-coming big-screen actress, with a role in the upcoming Will Smith movie Hancock, and a starring role in the feature film Trailer Park of Terror. She's also been a guest star on TV shows such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Shark.
Question: Hi Hayley! I'm sure the general public thinks that being a briefcase model on Deal or No Deal is easy work. Can you walk us through what really happens during a day of taping?
Hayley Marie Norman: It's so not as easy as looks! But that's part of the job, making it all look good and painless! First of all, the show itself is about one hour. That one hour of television takes several hours to produce. And remember, we are doing it all in heels! We arrive on set anywhere from 5 to 7am for hair and makeup. This process takes hours because every girl has a very specific look that needs to be correctly duplicated for every episode. I won't even go into what that all involves, because I want you to believe we wake up every morning looking that good!
Anyway, after hair and makeup (which includes the covering of any tattoos), we go into wardrobe. This is probably the most meticulous part of the day. It is very important that each and every one of us looks stunning in the dresses. Before every tape cycle, we have several fittings for each dress to ensure that it is just right. By the time wardrobe is done, we are a good three to four hours into the tape day. We then get miked and get ready for the look-see, where once again the producers and the heads of the hair, makeup, and wardrobe department make sure that everything on all the girls is just right.
We then get our cases and do the "Model March," which is the part where the models make their appearance after Howie says his famous, "Ladies, Please." We usually tape the march at least two times. The march is much more difficult than one would think, as it involves precise placement, timing, and prayers that none of us fall! Then the fun begins! We start the game! Every girl hopes to get called first so that they can take their shoes off and relax for a bit. Although, there's usually media or something else exciting happening backstage, so not too much relaxing or sitting happens.Q: Do you get to keep any of the gowns or outfits you wear on the show? What's been your favorite dress or outfit so far?
Hayley: Most of the dresses are auctioned off for charity which of course is wonderful. It always makes me proud to hear when someone bought one of my dresses in an auction. The ones that aren't auctioned off, are cataloged in a huge storage room for various reasons. My favorite dress was this royal purple one we wore in the beginning of the second season. It was a halter top with gold around the bodice, and had a full skirt. It was a very fun dress. There's a couple that I would have really loved to keep, and that's one of them!
Q: If you were a contestant on Deal or No Deal, what would your strategy be?
Hayley: I would just go with what my gut was telling me at that moment. One's instincts are very rarely wrong!
Q: You've had both starring and supporting roles in movies, cameo appearances in some big-name TV shows, a recurring role on Y&R, and of course Deal or No Deal - how do you manage to juggle all of these jobs and still keep your sanity?
Hayley: Well, I'm an actress, so I act like I'm a little more sane than I really am. However, I recently took up boxing for fitness and soon realized that hitting things also seems to help make everything better. (laughs)
