Alex Trebek

Infobox actor

---

caption = Alex Trebek, March 2007
fullname = George Alexander Trebek
birthname =
birthdate = birth date and age |1940|7|22
birthplace = Sudbury, Ontario
Canada
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = TV host, Game show host (1966-present)
spouse = Jean Currivan-Trebek (1990-present)

George Alexander "Alex" Trebek (born July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host. He has been the host of the game show "Jeopardy!" since September 10, 1984. He has hosted numerous game/quiz shows and has appeared in television series, usually as himself. Though a native of Canada, he became a naturalized United States citizen in 1998. [ [http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_110135152.html "Who Is Alex Trebek?"] , CBS Los Angeles biography, Apr 20, 2007. URL retrieved September 21 2007]

Biography

Early life

Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, the son of Lucille (née Lagacé), a Franco-Ontarian, and George Edward Trebek, a Ukrainian-Canadian immigrant. He was educated at a Jesuit school 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 and sportscaster. Trebek specialized in national news and covering a wide range of special events for the CBC's radio and television divisions, including curling [ [http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/16529/cbc_championship_curling/details/ TVArchive.ca - CBC Championship Curling ] ] and horse racing. [ [http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/qpodcast_20080804_6879.mp3 NewspaperARCHIVE.com - Search old newspaper articles online] ]

Trebek once attended Royal Military College Saint-Jean, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, but only lasted six days. [ [http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/qpodcast_20080804_6879.mp3 CBC Podcast] , "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi, Interview originally broadcast 2008-05-28 (relevant content is at end of interview), URL retrieved October 10, 2008.] Trebek talks about his military school experiences briefly in a [http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/ESQ0403-APR_WIL 2003 interview] in "Esquire" magazine.

Rise in television

In 1964 he started hosting the high school quiz show "Reach for the Top". In 1970 he hosted a Canadian television show called "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) and an accompanying syndicated season (1975-76). In between stints as host of "High Rollers" Trebek hosted the short-lived CBS game show "Double Dare", which turned out to be both the only CBS network show Trebek hosted and the first show he hosted for what was then Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, as well as the second season of the syndicated series "The $128,000 Question", which taped in Toronto. Since the second incarnation of "High Rollers" premiered while "The $128,000 Question" was still airing and taping episodes, Trebek became one of two hosts to emcee shows in both the United States and Canada (Jim Perry, who did this twice, was the other- in fact, both Trebek and Perry earned this distinction on the same day, as both "High Rollers" and "Card Sharks" debuted on NBC on April 24, 1978; Perry was hosting "Definition" and "Headline Hunters" in Canada during this time).

Unlike other hosts of the day Trebek did not make guest appearances as panelist or player on other shows; in fact his only guest appearance was on a special week of NBC's "Card Sharks" in 1980 where he along with several other game show hosts (including Allen Ludden, Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, Jack Clark, Gene Rayburn, and Jim Lange) competed in a week-long round robin tournament for charity. Trebek won the tournament, defeating Bill Cullen in the finals.

After "High Rollers" was cancelled in 1980 Trebek moved on to "Battlestars" for NBC in 1981, but the series was canceled after nearly seven months on air in 1982. While doing this he also was host of the syndicated Canadian game show "Pitfall", once again commuting between countries (this time between California and Vancouver, where "Pitfall" taped). After both series ended, Trebek hosted a revival of "Battlestars" called "The New Battlestars" that ended after thirteen weeks, then shot a series of pilots for other series for producers Merrill Heatter (who he had worked for on "High Rollers" and "Battlestars") and Merv Griffin. The Heatter pilots were "Malcolm", an NBC-ordered pilot featuring Trebek with an animated character as his co-host, and "Lucky Numbers", an attempt at a revival of "High Rollers" that didn't sell. For Griffin he shot two pilots for a revival of "Jeopardy!", which he began hosting in 1984 and has done ever since.

In 1987, while still hosting "Jeopardy!", Trebek returned to daytime television as host of NBC's "Classic Concentration", his second show for Mark Goodson. He would host both shows simultaneously until September 20, 1991, when "Classic Concentration" aired its final episode (although the show returned a month later in reruns which continued for two more years)

In 1991 Trebek made broadcast history by becoming the first man to host three American game shows at the same time; he earned this distinction on February 4, 1991, when he took over for Lynn Swann as host of NBC's "To Tell The Truth", and hosted until the end of the series' run on May 31, 1991.

Having been 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.Fact|date=August 2007

Honors and awards

Alex Trebek has been awarded five Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards 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, and donates a great deal of his free time to touring overseas with the USO. He hosts the annual "National Geographic Bee" in the U.S. and "The Great Canadian Geography Challenge" in Canada. 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. [World Vision's website says Trebek has been a sponsor of the charity since the early 1980s ( [http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/comms.nsf/stable/jeopardy?OpenDocument&cmp=IL12640 "Bid on the Jeopardy set!"] , World Vision website, 2002). His travels publicizing the charity's work include trips to Zambia ( [http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/pr.nsf/f7b30c7d9156f79b8525646000810b4b/9a0d74ff092db41488257301005e2c36!OpenDocument "Alex Trebek to Visit Zambia with World Vision"] World Vision website, June 21 2007) and Uganda ( [http://www.worldvision.ca/home/about-us/celebrities-supporting-world-vision/ "Celebrities Supporting World Vision"] , World Vision Canada website). World Vision's website says that Trebek "been regularly involved with World Vision and is often seen on the organization's television shows" (World Vision Canada website, "ibid")]

In March 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). His star is located on King Street West near those of The Crazy Canucks and Eugene Levy.

Parodies

Due to Trebek's long history on television, he is a familiar figure and therefore a popular parody target, which usually emphasize his stoic nature and his attempts at native pronunciation of foreign terms. Parodies of him include Eugene Levy portraying a game show host named 'Alex Trebel' on "Second City Television", Ike Barinholtz portraying him on "MadTV", and Adam West of "Family Guy" banishing Trebek "back to the fifth dimension where he belongs" in the episode "I Take Thee Quagmire" by writing down "Kebert Xela" (Alex Trebek backwards) during the Final Jeopardy! round. Trebek has also played himself, or a version of himself on various shows, as well as being the subject of a practical joke in an episode of "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes", finding himself the subject of a made-up personality cult. Trebek also briefly appears as himself in the 1998 movie "Mafia!" during a parade in early 20th-century Italy. The most well known parody of Trebek is Will Ferrell's portrayal on "Saturday Night Live" parody sketches of Celebrity "Jeopardy!"; Trebek himself appeared in the final such sketch in Ferrell's 2002 finale as a series regular (there has been one more sketch in 2005 when Ferrell later hosted).

Thoroughbred horse racing

Trebek formerly [CBC Radio program "Q", interview with Jian Ghomeshi, 2008-05-28] owned and managed a 700 acre (2.8 km²) ranch near Paso Robles in Creston, California previously owned by Fred and Helen Sahadi, parents of trainer Jenine Sahadi. [ [http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=2099 Jenine Sahadi - NTRA ] ] The property was known as Cardiff Stud Farm but Trebek renamed it Creston Farms where he bred, trained and provided state-of-the-art care for Thoroughbred race horses. [http://www.ctba.com/farms01/CRESTONFRMS.pdf]

Among Thoroughbreds raced by Trebek, his colt, Reba's Gold, was a stakes-winning grandson of Seattle Slew. [ [http://www.pedigreequery.com/rebas+gold Rebas Gold Horse Pedigree ] ]

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). 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!" [ [http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/alex-trebek/bio Alex Trebek : Television Newscaster Biography ] ]

In 1996, Trebek ran the Olympic Torch in Jacksonville, Florida through a leg of its journey to Atlanta. [cite web | title=J! Archive - Show #5365, aired Friday, December 28, 2007 - Contestant interveiew | url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=2252 | date=2007-12-28 | accessdate=2007-12-31 | quote=I'm sure there were as many heartwarming stories as there were wacky adventures associated with the carrying of the torch. I carried it in Florida. ]

In late 2001, during "Jeopardy!"'s 18th season, Trebek shaved the mustache that he had worn for over 30 years. He wore a fake mustache for the first half of the April 1, 2008 episode as an April Fools' joke.

On Friday, January 30, 2004, Trebek escaped major injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck while driving alone on a rural road in the Central Coast town of Templeton, California, returning from a family home in Lake Nacimiento. The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet [cite web | title=J! Archive - Show #5012, aired Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - Contestant interview | date=2006-05-30 | url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=984 | accessdate=2006-12-29 | quote=I got you beat. When I fell asleep at the wheel, my pickup flew 45 feet.] over an embankment, and came to rest against a utility pole in a ditch. Trebek was not cited for the accident and returned to work taping "Jeopardy!" the following Tuesday. [cite news | title='Jeopardy!' host Trebek in car crash | publisher=Associated Press | date=2004-01-31 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/31/trebek.ap/index.html | accessdate=2006-12-29 ] [cite news | title='Jeopardy!' host hopes to return Tuesday | publisher=Associated Press | date=2004-02-02 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/people.trebek.ap/index.html | accessdate=2006-12-29 ]

Trebek appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005. He came in second place in his qualifying game, losing to Cheryl Hines. On May 9, 2008, Trebek was a guest on "Jimmy Kimmel Live", on which he discussed his 24-year career as the host of "Jeopardy!" Kimmel's other guest was Kelsey Grammer, who had won an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy 17 years earlier. The segment included a video clip from that episode.

2007 heart attack

On December 11, 2007, Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a minor heart attack in his home. He was released on December 15, 2007. [ cite web | last=Albiniak | first=Paige | title=Alex Trebek Released from Hospital: "Jeopardy!" Host Heads Home to Recuperate from Heart Attack | publisher=Broadcasting & Cable | url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6513228.html | date=2007-12-16 | accessdate=2008-02-12 | quote="Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was released from Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Hospital Saturday [December 15] ... ] Trebek returned to the production of "Jeopardy!" as scheduled on January 14, 2008 to tape the Teen Tournament. [ cite web | url=http://www.jeopardy.com/announcementalextrebek20071211.php | title=Jeopardy! official web site Alex Trebek announcement | quote=Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!, has had a minor heart attack. He is resting comfortably in a Los Angeles hospital, and he will be back in the studio for the next scheduled tapings in January. | date=2007-12-11 | accessdate=2007-12-11 ] [cite news | last=Jablon | first=Robert | publisher=Associated Press | title=Trebek Hospitalized With Heart Attack | url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQkNHtRpZWQh_mFyiHvkdIMP9eIAD8TFFPGG0 | date=2007-12-11 | accessdate=2007-12-11 ] cite episode | title=Interview with Alex Trebek | series=The Ellen DeGeneres Show | serieslink=The Ellen DeGeneres Show | airdate=2008-01-18 | url=http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?t=35092 | quote=We've got our Teen Tournament coming up in two weeks. We just taped that. I went back to work, felt great doing it. ]

TV and film appearances

hows hosted

* "Music Hop" (1952–1972) - Host from 1963-1964
* "Vacation Time" (1964) - Co-host
* "Reach for the Top" (1966–1973) - Quizmaster
* "Strategy" (1971) - Host
* "The Wizard of Odds" (1973) - Host
* "Double Dare" (1976–1977)
* "High Rollers" - Host (NBC, 1974–1976, 1978–1980)
* "The $128,000 Question" (1977–1978)
* "Battlestars" (1981–1983)
* "Pitfall" (1981–1982)
* "Malcolm" (1983 pilot)
* "Jeopardy!" (1984–present)
* "VTV-Value Television" (1987) - Co-host with Meredith MacRae
* "Classic Concentration" (1987–1991)
* "Super Jeopardy!" - Host (1990)
* "To Tell the Truth" (1990–1991) - Host from February to May 1991
* "Wheel of Fortune" - Host for April Fools' Day episode in 1997, also a substitute host in 1981
* "Barris & Company" - Co-host/Announcer
* "Outside/Inside" - Host
* "Pick and Choose" - Host
* "Stars on Ice" - Host
* "T.G.I.F." - Announcer
* "Live from the Hollywood Bowl" - Host of annual live broadcasts.
* "The Red Badge of Courage" / "Heart of Courage" - Canadian-produced show highlighting brave individuals
* The National Geographic Bee national finals - Host (1989-present)
* The Pillsbury Bake-Off- Host (1996-1998)

Film appearances

* "White Men Can't Jump" (1992) - himself as the host of "Jeopardy!"
* "Finding Forrester" (2000) playing himself as a quiz show host

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0871618|name=Alex Trebek
* [http://www.nndb.com/people/373/000022307/ Alex Trebek] at the Notable Names Database
* [http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/260-alex-trebek Alex Trebek's Charity Work]
* [http://entertainment.aol.ca/article/alex-trebek-and-jeopardy-come-home/309583/ Q&A with Alex Trebek]