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Alex Trebek

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Alex Trebek hosting a 1986 episode of Jeopardy!
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Alex Trebek hosting a 1986 episode of Jeopardy!

A shaved Alex Trebek in a 2005 episode of Jeopardy!
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A shaved Alex Trebek in a 2005 episode of Jeopardy!

George Alexander Trebek (born as Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek [link] on July 22, 1940) is a Canadian-American television personality, best known as the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984. He has hosted numerous game/quiz shows and has appeared in over 70 movies and television series, usually as himself. Though a native of Canada, he is now a naturalized US citizen.

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Early life

Alex Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, to George Edward Trebek, a Ukrainian immigrant father and Lucille Lagacé, a Franco-Ontarian mother. He was educated by the Jesuits before graduating from Toronto's Malvern Collegiate Institute in 1958, and later the University of Ottawa with a degree in Philosophy. Interested in a career in broadcast news, he began his broadcasting career working for the CBC as a newscaster. Specializing in national news and covering a wide range of special events for the CBC's radio and television divisions, Trebek earned a reputation as a broadcaster who maintained his poise and composure in the most difficult settings.

Rise in television

In 1966 he started hosting the high school quiz show Reach for the Top. In 1970 he hosted "Jackpot!". In 1973, he moved to the United States and worked for NBC as host of a new game show, The Wizard of Odds. A year later, Trebek hosted the popular Merrill Heatter–Bob Quigley game show High Rollers, which had two incarnations on NBC (1974–76 and 1978–80). In 1984 he was chosen to host the revived version of the trivia game show Jeopardy! (replacing Art Fleming who had retired), and has been its host ever since. He was also the host of Classic Concentration and the Canadian game show Pitfall. During this golden age, his wardrobe was furnished by Botany 500 and Mr. Guy of Beverly Hills.

In 1991, he became the only host in United States TV history to helm three daily national game shows at once — Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration and To Tell the Truth. He is one of three hosts to emcee a game show in the United States and a game show in Canada at the same time (Jim Perry and Geoff Edwards, both of whom were U.S.-born, are the other two). Trebek and Perry are the only two known hosts in the industry to host three different game shows at once in North American television.

He is divorced from his first wife, Elaine Callei. He has been married to his second wife, Jean Currivan-Trebek, a real estate businesswoman and the mother of his two children, since April 30, 1990.

Trebek was also a celebrity guest at WWF's (now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) annual event Wrestlemania VII, on March 24, 1991, where he served as a special guest announcer, interviewing wrestlers. Most memorable was when he interviewed Jake "The Snake" Roberts and was scared away by Jake's snake, Damien.

Honors and Awards

Having skillfully guided the series to years of unprecedented success, Alex Trebek has been personally honored with four Emmy Awards (best television host) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (located at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard, near those for Ann-Margret and Vincent Price).

Trebek is active with a number of educational organizations and charities, donates a great deal of his free time to touring overseas with the USO, and serves as a spokesman for World Vision. A favorite role of his is to host the annual National Geographic Bee in the U.S. and Canada. He is on the boards of the National Geographic Society Education Foundation and the National Advisory Council for the Literary Volunteers of America. Active with the World Vision charitable organization, he has traveled to many Third World countries with World Vision projects, taping reports on the group's efforts on behalf of children around the world.

In March of 2006, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He is the second game show host to be inducted (the first being Monty Hall). He is also one of the few inductees to have stars on both Canada's and Hollywood's walks.

Trebek Hall

Around 1999, a new dormitory was constructed at the University of Ottawa, Trebek's alma mater. Rumor has it that the administration had planned to name it "Trebek Hall," but Trebek told them, "Not until I'm dead." To this day the residence is still named simply "New Residence." Interestingly, all of the other residences, including one that is newer than New Residence, have a proper names. This has led many students to joke that the university's administration is waiting for Trebek to change his mind or die.

Just kidding

In 1997, the producers of Wheel of Fortune (the same ones who also produce Jeopardy!) were so impressed by Trebek's hosting skills that they let him switch positions with Wheel's Pat Sajak for an April Fool's edition of both shows. While Sajak took over the hosting duties on Jeopardy!, Trebek had Sajak and his cohost Vanna White as contestants on Wheel. Sajak's wife was in charge of revealing the letters on the letterboard (a duty normally handled by White). Trebek also presided as a sub host for Wheel on a few occasions before the 1997 joke. In August 1980, about one month after NBC had canceled High Rollers, Trebek sub hosted Wheel of Fortune for a sick Chuck Woolery.

Parodies

Other notable events

Trebek became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998. He now lives in Studio City, California with his wife (Jean) and two children (Matthew and Emily). He owns and manages Creston Farms, a 700 acre (2.8 km²) ranch near Paso Robles in Creston, California which breeds, trains and provides state-of-the-art care for thoroughbred race horses and until recently he also owned a winery called Creston Vineyards.

In an interview with a talk show host, Trebek complained that "I had only been a citizen for two weeks when I received a summons to appear for jury duty!"

On January 30, 2004, Trebek escaped injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck. He bumped into a string of mailboxes and ended up in a ditch. At that time, Trebek was driving by himself on a rural road. http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/people.trebek.ap/index.html

In the 2000-2001 season, he shaved his famous mustache that he had had for over 30 years.

Trebek appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005. He came in second place in his qualifying game, losing to Cheryl Hines.

Trebek hosted the 1996 & 1998 Pillsbury Bake-Off. In the 1996 Bake-Off (held in Dallas, Texas), Trebek witnessed history in the making, when Kurt Wait became the first man (of 10 men in the contest) to win The 37th Pillsbury Bake-Off. His creation, fudge macadamian torte cake.

TV and film appearances

Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place victory by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.
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Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place victory by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.

Cameos
Shows Alex Trebek has hosted:

External links

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