‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers: Who is Mantis?

Paul Sheehan
·3 min read
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Were you as pleased as we were that the judges saved the Mantis on the April 5 episode of “The Masked Singer”? We liked this fellow from the moment he strode on stage and blew the roof off the joint with his rollicking rendition of “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger.

We were disappointed when he lost the Battle Royale to Dandelion after they duelled on the ditty “(I’ve Got A) Golden Ticket” from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” But then we were delighted when Robin Thicke rang the Ding Dong Keep It On bell and kept him in the competiton.

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We’ve rewatched both of the performances by the Mantis as well as his clues package. Forget those guesses by the judges that Dandelion is Kevin Bacon, Dennis Quaid,Keanu Reeves or Bruce Springsteen. We are convinced we’ve cracked the code and know the name of the celebrity masquerading as Mantis. Keep reading as we have all your “The Masked Singer” spoilers, including the answer to the question, “Who is Mantis?”

Mantis is Lou Diamond Phillips, the actor and singer.

The final clue was the capper: the men in black brought out sunglasses with a tag that read “True Story.” Mantis then revealed “representing a legend was instrumental to my success and it was an honor to do so.” Phillips came to fame in 1987 when he portrayed the singer Ritchie Valens in the biopic “La Bamba.”

As a group, this year’s contenders for the Golden Mask have bagged two Tony Awards bids. Phillips contended for Broadway’s highest honor back in 1996 for his starring role in an acclaimed revival of the classic tuner “The King and I” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. (We’re sure that the other Tony nominee in the group is competing as Dandelion.)

Likewise Phillips accounts for one of the 28 Emmy nominations earned by “The Masked Singer” contestants. He competed in 2016 in the category of Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for his role in “The Crossroads of History.”

He can claim one of the five lifetime achievement awards picked up this season’s contenders for the Golden Mask; in 2013, Phillips was feted by the White Sands International Film Festival.

Phillips penned the sci-fi fantasy “Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira” in 2020; as a whole, the celebrities have published 26 books.

Among the visual clues, the biggest giveaway that the Mantis is Lou Diamond Phillips came in the form of the poker chips. Phillips is well-regard for his skills as a card player and has racked up winnings in the five figures over the years.

We saw the Mantis with wolves. There are three tie-ins to Phillips. The band Los Lobos (which is Spanish for wolves) had a huge hit in 1987 with a cover of Valens’ signature tune “La Bamba.” In 1992, the actor starred in the movie “Shadow of the Wolf.” And in 2001 he headlined the TV series “Wolf Lake.”

‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers
California Roll | Gargoyle| Macaw | Mantis | Medusa | UFO

We will only find out if we are right that Mantis is Lou Diamond Phillips when he is unmasked. That will happen when he loses a vote or wins the show. Do you think we are right about the true identity of Mantis? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.

Be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs on Fox. You’ll compete to win eternal bragging rights and a spot on our “The Masked Singer” Season 7 leaderboard. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.

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