Howie Mandel says Indy's stuttering comedian Drew Lynch worth $1 million

Indianapolis' Drew Lynch -- a kid with an acting dream, turned stuttering comedian after a softball injury --  made it to the finals of "America's Got Talent" Wednesday.

After America's vote, Lynch is now set to compete for the final $1 million prize later this month.

Judge Howie Mandel seemed to hint Wednesday that Lynch may just be the guy to beat in the variety talent competition.

After it was announced that Lynch had moved on, Mandel said he was reminded of the old adage "laughter is the best medicine."

"And if laughter is the best medicine, America has just made you their pharmacist and they are going to pay you $1 million for the medication," Mandel said.

This story published Sept. 1, after Lynch performed on the semifinals of "America's Got Talent."

The softball injury that shattered Indianapolis native Drew Lynch's acting dreams — leaving him with a high-pitched voice and a severe stutter — turned into something people could laugh at Tuesday.

A man (Lynch) who a bill collector thinks is a woman on the phone, which must have bad reception due to his stutter.

Laugh at this joke, America did.

As Lynch took the stage live at Radio City Music Hall for the semifinals of "America's Got Talent," he pulled out, arguably, his best performance so far in the competition.

The talent show has been whittled down to just 24 contestants. Live results, including whether Lynch advances, will air Wednesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Lynch's stuttering-woman joke Tuesday garnered a standing ovation from the crowd and judges and earned Lynch this praise from host Nick Cannon: "Drew Lynch, killin' it tonight. What a man. Way to rock it."

In case you missed the performance, here's a recap.

"I realize that when I talk on the phone it sounds like bad reception," Lynch said. "Just sounds like I have Sprint. It sucks because not only do people think it's bad reception, but, because my voice is so high, they think I'm a woman. Like I was on the phone with a bill collector in the grocery store and this is the actual conversation that we had."

Lynch went on to imitate both himself and the bill collector.

Bill collector: "Hi, thanks for calling the billing company. How can I help you?"

Lynch: "Yes, I was late on paying a bill from two weeks ago."

Confusion from the bill collector.

Lynch: "Yes, I'm trying to pay a bill from two weeks ago."

Bill collector: "Ma'am, are you still there?"

Lynch: "Yes, I'm still here."

Bill collector: "I think you are breaking up."

Lynch: "No, it's a stutter."

Bill collector: "I may have a bad connection, Miss."

Lynch: "No, what you have is a guy with a speech impediment."

Bill collector: "Ma'am, there is no need to raise your voice to me."

Lynch: "I'm trying to lower my voice. I just want to pay my bill from two weeks ago."

Bill collector: "Ma'am, I'm sorry. Please call us back. We're breaking up."

Then, Lynch recalls how he's screaming in the grocery store over the phone.

"No, we're not breaking up. I'm two weeks late and I'm not a woman."

The crowd erupted and rose to their feet. The judges heaped praise.

"You are my guy, Drew. You make me so proud," Howie Mandel said. "You say maybe people like you because you show your vulnerability. No. People like you because you show your strength. You show how you can overcome. You are so funny. Everybody in this room loves you. Everybody in America loves you. The only people I can imagine don't love you is Sprint."

Heidi Klum told Lynch: "I think you have a true chance of becoming a great comedian."

Howard Stern liked most of the performance, except the way Lynch laughs at himself during his jokes.

"We all root for you, what you represent. What you do is so fabulous," Stern told him. "I don't like when you laugh at yourself. I don't think you need that crutch. I don't think you need it. Have the confidence to go out and do your material. I think it throws things off."

Lynch responded: "I'll try to be less funny so I don't laugh at myself."

Vote here for Lynch until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Follow Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow.