If it’s a bug’s life, then Mantis is here to party. It’s WB Movie Night on The Masked Singer season 9 and Mantis made his debut along with Dandelion, and together they faced off against last week’s champion, Doll.
WB Movie Night was a celebration of 100 years of Warner Bros. movies and its epic catalog of songs. Doll was sent home and after the Battle Royale, Dandelion was declared the winner and Mantis was saved by the Ding Dong Keep It On feature.
When the Battle of the Saved rolled around, Mantis was up against Gargoyle and Medusa for a spot in the semifinals but lost and was unmasked.
Here's who Mantis is on The Masked Singer.
Who is Mantis on The Masked Singer?
Mantis turned out to be celebrated actor Lou Diamond Phillips, known for hits like La Bamba, Stand and Deliver, Young Guns and Longmire.
Who is Mantis on The Masked Singer US? Song picks
WB Movie Night song: "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.
Battle of the Saved song: "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks.
Who is Mantis on The Masked Singer US? Show clues
WB Night Clues:
Clue: True story. "Representing a legend was key to my success, and it was an honor to do so."
Voiceover: "In a world, where celebrities dress up in elaborate costumes and sing their hearts out, one gentle mantis is answering the call. ‘I’m in!’ And is ready to show you a new side of himself. Flying onto the Masked Singer stage comes a performer known for his brooding persona. And he’s ready to show you he’s real freaking good at comedy. He’s almost won an Emmy for it. You may not know the Mantis as a singer, but he’s a published author. He’s done Shakespeare. And now he wants to let loose and dance with the wolves. Music has followed Mantis his whole career, from Broadway to the silver screen. So, get ready for some insect insanity. Because this bug is coming to the stage. Right now."
Battle of the Saved Clues:
Clue: Movie Maverick. "I've won awards for my independent spirit," Mantis said, "But the real reward is having more movie credits than Ken."
Voiceover: "My goodness man, it blows my mind to be given a second chance. I did not expect to be out of the first episode. This is my daughter’s favorite show. I’ve seen the show, and you guys have ridiculously talented singers! We know I’m not known as a singer. So, I thought I’d come in, try to hold my own, be entertaining. And then Robin chose to save me. It’s like a Cinderella story! When you touch someone’s heart it makes all the difference in the world. I’ve been out of the box most of my career. I don’t fit a lot of people’s classic mold as the leading man. Very rarely was I anybody’s first choice. I’ve always felt like I had to earn it, I had to work for it. And the beauty of that is that I love the work. I love the craft. I even love to do this. I’ve developed him into this stage persona, and he’s turned into this rock god. It would be absolutely stunning to win it all. There are no more saves."
Who is Mantis on The Masked Singer US? Costume clues
Mantis looks just like what you’d expect a giant walking, talking praying mantis to look like. He's big and they’re green, but his costume might offer us some clues.
Mantis is sporting a black leather jacket over a white shirt with blue jeans. There’s a red handkerchief hanging from the front pocket. Is this a Grease reference? (Is that you, John Travolta!?) Honestly, there could be a number of people under that mask, all from Grease’s storied history. The big question is who it is, if in fact it’s someone from Grease.
Of course, the Grease clues could be a red herring and the person under the mask could be anyone, but we're going to put our money on a Grease cameo here.
Who is Mantis on The Masked Singer US? Guesses
None of the panelists got Lou Diamond Phillips right during the Battle of the Saved. Robin Thicke guessed Dennis Quaid, Nicole Scherzinger guessed Steve Buscemi, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg guessed Kevin Bacon and Ken Jeong guessed Brenden Fraser.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox.
