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{ TV } One of a Kind For a gifted rapper, actor and author with a bevy of new projects, ’s name belies his singular talent.

{ By Jessica Jones } DAVID YELLEN/CORBIS OUTLINE YELLEN/CORBIS DAVID

AA.COM/AMERICANWAY NOVEMBER 15, 2011 17

AAP - Pitstop - _07L13_AW20111115-017.pdf October 24, 2011 07:04:43 ITINERARY

LEFT: Common in Hell on Wheels Price-less TV BELOW: One Day It'll { By J. Rentilly } All Make Sense

The Price Is Right is celebrating its 40th anniversary in grand style this year, having recently wrapped its 7,500th episode and launching its first-ever celebrity week (Snoop Dogg, Jenny McCarthy and Neil Patrick Harris, come on down!) in January. For cave dwellers and Luddites, The Price Is Right — hosted for decades by Bob Barker before comedian Drew Carey (below) took the reins in 2007 — is an energetic, carnivalesque game show that features contestants squaring off in a variety of pricing games on the way to large showcases of valuable prizes. In honor of the CBS hit's record-breaking 40th season, we take a look at Price Is Right by the numbers:

More than 100,000 prizes have been awarded on the show, including cars, boats and trips. / More than n the interest of saving time, soldier turned crew chief 2 million audience members, often let’s start by naming the things and Common as a freed slave who fl amboyantly dressed, have Ithat Common isn’t good at. works for him. The show represents “I ain’t too good at tennis,” he says. a fi rst for Common, who started taken part in tapings of the show, and “I defi nitely ain’t good at golf. I can’t acting several years ago but had more than 65,000 contestants have draw that well.” worked exclusively in fi lm until now. been chosen to compete. / 3,600 Plinko He pauses. Though he admits he wasn’t “And I take pride in not being a necessarily looking for a TV series chips have been dropped during the show’s good liar, either.” to star in, when he read the script, 40-year run. / The show’s biggest winner Anything beyond that, though, he knew it was a challenge he took home $147,517 in cash and is pretty much fair game for the wanted to take on. prizes, while a Tesla Roadster (worth 39-year-old multihyphenate. And “This is an emotional role; I feel he’s showing off a good many of connected to it on a whole other $112,845) is the most expensive single his talents this fall with a laundry level,” he says. “To be able to play prize ever off ered. / The show has list of new projects. that character — man, it’s a blessing. presented more than 15,000 Hot on the heels of his New York I feel a lot of responsibility.” Times best-selling memoir, One Day Fans of his music needn’t worry showcases. / The show’s popular It’ll All Make Sense, Common — who’s about his latest on-screen gig — “Cliff Hanger” game has been played more best known for being a Grammy- already being hailed as a breakout than 700 times, with “the yodelly guy,” winning MC — returns to his musical role for the Chicago native — roots with his fi rst album in three taking away from his fi rst love; in as he is aff ectionately called, having gone years, The Dreamer, The Believer. fact, Common credits his budding over the edge 282 times. / Models He promises a crowd-pleasing return acting career with making have highlighted prizes with the world- to the origins of his genre, a sound him more open to collaboration — fans got a taste of on the -assisted which, in turn, has made him famous Price Is Right “wrist fl ip” more lead single, “Ghetto Dreams.” a better musician. than 300,000 times. “It’s, like, soulful, pure hip-hop,” “With acting … you’re in control he says of the disc, which was of what you do with your character, produced by No ID. “It’s hip-hop but between the director, the that people — that I — want to hear.” producers, the editors — you’ve got As for what people want to see, to let go of a lot of things,” he says. he’s got that covered, too: His new “[Now musically] I don’t hold on series, Hell on Wheels, premiered to everything. I’m working with good earlier this month on AMC. The producers like Kanye [West] and No buzzworthy drama, about the ID. They might throw an idea out, construction of the transcontinen- and that opens me up.” tal railroad, stars Anson Mount Now if only they could help him

as a revenge-seeking Confederate with his golf game. CHRIS LARGE/AMC; CLIFF LIPSON/CBS

18 NOVEMBER 15, 2011 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY

AAP - Pitstop - _07ONA_AW20111115-018.pdf October 26, 2011 15:36:09