16 APRI L 2 0 1 9
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE REAL DEAL
Astoria woman takes the stage as suitcase
model on ‘Deal or No Deal’
By EMILY DAVENPORT
A Queens woman is helping ask
the age-old question: Deal, or no
deal?
Born and raised in Astoria, Soraya
Yd spent a lot of time growing
up hanging around Astoria Boulevard.
After graduating from the
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, Yd, like
many high school grads, was unsure of
what step to take next.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I
knew that I wanted to have a focal point,”
Yd said.
After dabbling in modeling, it wasn’t
until Yd was an extra for a show on MTV3
where it became clear that she wanted to
do on-camera work. She went on to attend
LaGuardia Community College and
majored in Communications and Television
Broadcasting. She signed with her
first agency in 2011, and after a few stints
in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, there was
going to be an opportunity that would
change Yd’s life.
After a nine-year hiatus, CNBC announced
in 2018 that it would revive the
popular game show “Deal or No Deal” for
a fifth season, and would be looking for a
new crop of models to present the show’s
suitcases. Yd’s agency set her up with a
Skype interview with the casting directors
at “Deal or No Deal.”
“My Wi-Fi actually went down right before
the interview, so I had to rush to my
agency’s office and set up for the interview,”
Yd recalled. “I was fortunate to be
seen for a second interview, where you
go and meet the people working on the
show. There were so many people there,
but I showed off my character and didn’t
hold back, and it worked out to my benefit.”
Yd was actually in Peru when she found
out that she landed the “Deal or No Deal”
job.
“I was on a spiritual journey in Peru
when I found out,” Yd said. “It was supposed
to be a zen experience, but I was
bouncing off the walls when I found out.”
After two months of filming in Orlando
and many fist bumps from “Deal or No
Deal” host Howie Mandel, the new season