"Jeopardy!
is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this
morning, surrounded by family and friends," said a
statement shared on the show's Twitter account Sunday. "Thank
you, Alex."
The cause of
death was not immediately announced. Trebek revealed in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer,
triggering an outpouring of support and well wishes at the time.
"Jeopardy!"
contestant Ken Jennings tweeted Sunday he was thinking of
Trebek's family and the "Jeopardy!" family, "which, in a way,
included millions of us," he said.
"Alex
wasn't just the best ever at what he did," Jennings wrote. "He was also a lovely and deeply
decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him."
Trebek is
survived by his wife, Jean, whom he married in 1990, and his three children.
Host Alex
Trebek talks to the 10 finalists in the fifth annual National Geography Bee in
Washington, DC, on May 26, 1993.
Over 37
seasons, Trebek hosted more than 8,200 episodes of "Jeopardy!," the
most by a presenter of any single TV game show, according to a statement from
Sony Pictures.
But despite
the years he spent on "Jeopardy!," the syndicated quiz show where
answers are presented in the form of a question, Trebek wasn't exactly an overnight success.
Born in
Sudbury, Ontario, he studied philosophy before becoming a journalist, working
as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
In 1966, while
still in his mid-20s, he switched from journalism to hosting game shows,
starting with a quiz show titled "Reach for the Top," and followed a
few years later by another, "Jackpot."
It wasn't
until 1984 that Trebek landed what turned out to be his big break, when
producer-host Merv Griffin chose him to emcee a revival of
"Jeopardy!," which was paired with another hit game show, "Wheel
of Fortune."
"Jeopardy!"
moderator Alex Trebek is seen speaking in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on October 1,
2018.
The
combination became a formidable block in the hour leading into prime time while
earning Trebek five Daytime Emmy Awards for his role as host.
His longevity
was reflected in a personal milestone, when he passed Bob Barker of "The
Price is Right" in the Guinness Book of Records as the person who had
hosted the most game-show episodes.
In a 2014
interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Trebek downplayed that honor, saying,
"I'm just enjoying what I'm doing, I'm happy to have a job. I like the
show, I like the contestants and it pays well."
Trebek began
hinting it might be time to retire in 2018, before agreeing to sign one last
contract extension, which was to run through 2022.
"He loved
that 'Jeopardy!' popularized intelligence and it was important for him,"
Mike Richards, the show's executive producer, told CNN on Sunday.
"I think
he really became synonymous with the show, in that he really was that
smart," Richards added. Trebek "reveled in these intelligent people,
in the contestants, in the writers," Richards said, and he would review
every clue for each show, rewriting them and giving them his own
"flavor."
"It's
just who he was -- he craved knowledge," Richards said. "And it showed."
Trebek's last
day in the studio was October 29, according to Sony Pictures.
"Jeopardy!" episodes hosted by Trebek are set to air through December 25.
"The show
is not announcing plans for a new host at this time," the statement from
Sony Pictures said.
Besides his
hosting work, which included such shows as "Classic Concentration"
and "High Rollers," Trebek was
active as a philanthropist, taking part in USO Tours visiting US troops
overseas and serving as a spokesman for various charities, including
WorldVision.
One of the few
public missteps in Trebek's career came when he tried his hand again at
journalism, agreeing to moderate a Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate in
2018. Criticized for a performance that included talking
more than either of the candidates, he subsequently apologized, saying he had
been "naïve" about his role.
When Trebek announced his diagnosis in March 2019, tributes came from
across the entertainment industry, including from late-night host Stephen
Colbert, who said, "Everybody loves Alex Trebek."
Jennings
compared Trebek to CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, tweeting, "Alex Trebek is
in a way the last Cronkite: authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every
night, almost to the point of ritual."
Trebek earned
numerous awards over the course of his career, including the Daytime Emmy Award
for outstanding game show host, which he won seven times, most recently in
July. He also received a lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmys in
June 2011.
SOURCE: CNN ENTERTAINMENT
No comments:
Post a Comment