Fil-Am wins $500,000 in NBC’s “Identity”
By Nickee V. de Leon/Asianjournal.com

LOS ANGELES – Game shows are a favorite pastime for Pinoys, as evidenced by their fixation with Wowowowee.

On December 19, 2006, Robert Talon, a Filipino-American Loan Officer from Chula Vista, romped away with the $500,000 grand prize on the second episode of NBC’s newest game show “Identity.””Identity” is an intense game of impulse and reasoning, where keen perception and instincts can lead to big money.

Each contestant faces 12 strangers and a list of 12 identities. The game unfolds as the contestant picks an identity, ranging from a profession to a shoe size and tries to match it with one of the 12 strangers. The stakes get higher with each correctly identified stranger.

If all 12 strangers and identities are matched correctly, the player takes home the whopping top prize of $500,000.Emmy Award-winning comedian and magician Penn Jillette of “Penn and Teller” hosts the show.

In an interview with the Asian Journal, Robert narrates that the entire audition process took about two months. He went to L.A. to audition and received a couple of callbacks.”When I was told to play a mock game of “Identity” with executive producers Tim Puntillo and Andrew Golder present, I knew I had a legitimate chance of getting picked to be a contestant. About a week or so after the final callback, I received the call and was in complete shock!” he says.For Robert, “Identity” was definitely not a game of luck.

“It’s based on first instinct and you are basically judging a book by its cover,” he quips.Robert was clearly wise and instinctive in making choices during the game. He started with the easier ones, like the celebrity impersonator and tattoo artist, then worked his way up to the more difficult ones, putting his “Tri-dentity” and “Experts” options to good use.The “Tridentity” option narrows down the contestant’s choices for an identity to three people. The “Experts” are a group of individuals who have the expertise to “read”people just by looking at them. They give expert advice to aid the contestant in making a more sound decision.

Robert was also fortunate enough to have had the support of his siblings, Jerry and Littisha, and good friend,Tina. The three played a vital role in making the $25,000 decision.

Living up to his last name, Robert did jump around a lot in his excitement during the game.When Robert hit the $150,000 mark, Penn casually asked him what he would do with the money. Without much thought and hesitation, he replied, “My parents are from the Philippines. I lived there for a couple of years because my mom was from the Air Force. I would love to go back over there, start a foundation, build like a boarding house for the street kids. We’re going to feed these kids, clothe them and educate them.”

When AJ asked if he had more charitable acts planned for the Philippines now that he has $500,000 at his disposal, he answers, “I am going to focus on the children. When my mom was stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines, I never forgot the way some children lived. One of my many dreams is to be able to go back to my parents’ homeland and help kids who deserve better education.”

Robert is confident that his program will be very successful.A divorced father of four, Robert was more than elated to have his kids with him that night. “It was one of the most amazing feelings to be able to share that moment with them. I love them with all my heart,” he says.

For Robert, game shows offer more than just entertainment value. Getting into one is practically a calling for him.His “game show career” began as a contestant on “The Price is Right” in 1992, where he won a couple of pocket watches, some gym equipment and a television. He lost during the big spin, but nonetheless, it was a great experience for Robert to have met Bob Hope and his girls.In 1999, Robert and his family auditioned for “Family Feud” and won $10,000.

Louie Anderson hosted the show during that time. From then on, Robert made it his life’s mission to get on a primetime national show.Seven years later, Robert gets handpicked from thousands of aspiring applicants to participate in “Identity.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Robert would like to impart this message to his fellow Filipinos: “In this game wecall life, we go through so many ups and downs. If there is one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that you must have a set goal, attainable or not. I set this goal of mine a couple of years back and I never gave up. I was very persistent. Eventually karma and all your good deeds will be rewarded.”

Robert Talon is indeed, a living proof of the adage that dreams can be realized if you set your mind and heart to it.(AJ)