Hip to be Square

Mike Sciacca

Surf City resident Rick Ogren was rubbing elbows recently with

several major celebrities, including former NBA All-Star Magic

Johnson and comedian Carrot Top.

In a three-day span in late January, Ogren became a celebrity in

his own right, taking congratulatory handshakes from the same stars

who helped make him rich.

The 43-year-old mortgage broker not only qualified to compete on

the nationally-syndicated game show, “Hollywood Squares,” but his

deft skills and strategy at the game allowed him to walk away with

what he called “the jackpot.”

“It was an incredible experience all the way around,” Ogren said.

“To just make the show was a thrill; but to win what I did -- well --

I couldn’t have hoped for any better.”

On his first day of taping, a Saturday in late January, Ogren won

in his first game, which included winning the secret square with

“Good Day LA” weather anchor Jillian Barberie and winning six of

eight speed round questions. He got the chance to select from one of

three car keys, hoping his choice would be the one to start a yellow

Volkswagen Beetle.

It did.

Ogren returned for a second day for victory No. 2, but the key he

selected to open a safe containing $25,000, failed to turn the lock.

His successful run came to a halt on his third day on the show,

but he left the stage having won, not only the yellow VW, but a

secret square that included a trip to Ireland and a week-long stay in

Las Vegas at New York New York and a backstage pass to comedienne

Rita Rudner’s show.

His total winnings in cash and prizes over three days totaled

$38,000.

Ogren’s three, taped episodes began airing on Tuesday, and will

finish up tonight at 7:30 p.m. on KCAL-TV channel 9.

He watched the first show with his two children, Christian, 12,

and Annelise, 7, and co-workers at a local pizza pub.

“I used to watch the old “Hollywood Squares” all the time, so to

be able to sit there with my children and friends and see myself on

the show is such a thrill,” Ogren said. “I still can’t believe all

the things I won.”

“Hollywood Squares,” now co-executive produced by Henry Winkler,

marked the first game show appearance for Ogren although he said that

he and family members tried out a few years back for “Family Feud.”

He has also qualified “about seven times” for “Who Wants to Be a

Millionaire,” by passing the required testing, but never received a

call back.

But his big break came when he simply called the “Hollywood

Squares” hotline and auditioned.

The process included an interview, then taking and passing a test.

From there, he played a mock game, then had his name was placed in

the contestants’ pool.

“Your name can stay in the pool for up to a year,” he explained.

“They select new contestants by drawing names from that pool.”

Ogren was told that throughout the year, 30,000 go through the

show’s tryout process but that only 260 end up being selected.

“I remember getting a phone call on a Tuesday, asking if I could

come down for taping on a Saturday,” he said. “There was no way I was

going to miss that.”

The show tapes five episodes on Saturdays and Sundays. Ogren was

sequestered in a room at Television City in Culver City with 13 other

contestants. He wasn’t selected that first day, but enjoyed seeing

the inner workings of the show.

“It was so much fun watching what went on behind the scenes,” he

said. “The stars were really funny and had us all laughing. Half the

things they said don’t make the air. I bet the producers had a fun

time in the editing room.”

The celebrities are given bluff answers and a comedic answer for a

question, although they are not given the actual answers to the

questions beforehand, he said.

“They can give one of those answers, come up with a funny answer

of their own or give the actual correct answer,” he said. “As part of

our strategy, we were told beforehand to try to read a celebrity’s

reaction, to discover whether or not they were giving the correct

answer.”

Ogren’s name was called the next day.

“It was somewhat scary to actually go out on stage and play, but I

settled down and had a great time,” he said. “Everyone involved with

that show was just great.”

Prior to his sitting in as a contestant, Ogren and the other

hopefuls were given a tour of the set. He said that he had wanted to

see what type of car could be won on the show and when discovered

that the car was a yellow VW Beetle, he had a premonition.

“Since my daughter was two, my kids and I would play a game we

called, yellow bug out. Anytime one of us saw a yellow VW, we would

yell, ‘yellow bug out.’ You got a point for each yellow VW you saw

and called out,” Ogren said. “It was a game that we played to keep us

close and make us think of one another. When I saw that car on stage,

I told the other contestants, ‘that car is mine.’ When I actually did

win it, I called the kids and said, ‘You won’t believe what kind of

car I won.’”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].