In 2020, America lost a national treasure. Alex Trebek was best known as the host of the long running gameshow Jeopardy, which he hosted from 1984 until shortly before his death. He was loved for his politeness, humor, and friendliness.
His hosting skills added to the show’s charm and he entertained millions of Americans across the country. His loss is a tragic one for the country and we’ll continue to remember his legacy for generations to come.
But how did he begin his career? Let’s look into his incredible journey from Canada to the United States. Let’s learn about his aspirations for broadcasting and how he landed the role of the host of Jeopardy!
It all started in the city of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada…
Alex Trebek was born on July 22nd, 1940. His mother was a Franco-Ontarian and his father was an immigrant for Ukraine. His father worked as a chef and he grew up with modest means.
His first job was as a bellhop at the age of 13. He worked in the same hotel where his father worked as a chef. He later went on to study Philosophy at the University of Ottawa. It was at university where joined the English Debating Society. He clearly had an interest in talking and presenting in front of others. It was at university that he became interested in broadcasting.
He began his career working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He would sometimes stand in for various radio announcers before landing a role to read the news over the radio. He would go to school during the day and work on the radio during the night.
After having success in radio, he began to make occasional appearances on television – often for reporting on sports. He was considered to become the host of the show Hockey Night in Canada. He was eventually set aside and the job went to Dave Hodge.
Alex Trebek sported a bushy moustache at the time and this was part of the reason why he was rejected for the hosting job! Little did he know that this moustache would become iconic as he “wore” it on Jeopardy for several years.
Alex knew that in order to further his career, he had to head to the United States. In 1973, he left behind his successful career in Canada, to try to make it in the USA…
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After many short stints on several American game shows, Alex eventually landed the role as the host of Jeopardy! The show was launched in 1984 and was created by Merv Griffin. He had found success in creating another game show, Wheel of Fortune, and wanted to create a show based on trivia questions.
Alex Trebek was hired as the host of the show and he never looked back after that. He hosted the show from 1984 to 2020. There were a few breaks he took in-between, including some to look after his health. But fans of the show loved Alex and will miss him now that we won’t see him host the show. Whoever replaces him, has huge shoes to fill!
So how was Alex treated on the Jeopardy set? He was fondly known as “Uncle Alex” on the set. During his time on the show and since his death, many of his colleagues have spoken about his kindness and generosity.
He was also known to truly caring about the contestants. He wanted to do well and felt happy with their success.
He would also give encouragement and positive feedback to contestants who didn’t win. He wanted to make sure that everyone felt nice about their experience on the show.
In front of the camera, Alex had a refined appearance and demeanor. However, behind the scenes he was known to be very down to earth and laid back. He would wear the finest suits on the show. But he would leave work wearing a t-shirt and jeans and would drive home in a pickup truck!
While he was dedicated to his work, he also had a variety of hobbies. He enjoyed playing hockey and also enjoyed riding horses. Despite his high salary, he preferred to fix his own roof tiles, clean his pool, and do his own plumbing work!
During the start of the COVID pandemic, he was feeling ill due to living with stage four pancreatic cancer. Nevertheless, to combat boredom he fixed his wife’s bathroom and did a bit of spring cleaning. He even tried to sell some of his old electronics on eBay – hoping that they would bring in a great profit as novelty items!
Alex Trebek was also known to be a very charitable man. He donated his suits to charity. He would also buy large areas of land to preserve nature throughout Los Angeles. He also passed on his passion for philanthropy to his son, Matthew.
His son Matthew is a restaurateur and has done a lot of philanthropic word to provide food to people without regular access to it.
This is a testament to Alex Trebek’s humanity. In fact, this might be one of the reasons why even major celebrities were starstruck when they met Alex Trebek.
For example, shortly after Alex’s death in 2020, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed his love for Jeopardy and how much he loved watching Alex Trebek as host. He stated that he was starstruck and struggled to contain himself when he met Alex Trebek while he was a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy.
Many A-List celebrities were known to “line up” just to meet Alex Trebek. Actress Loni Love stated that she arrived at the 2019 Daytime Emmy’s early with the sole purpose of meeting Alex Trebek.
After his death, many celebrities expressed their condolences and their appreciation for Alex Trebek on Twitter and other social media platforms. Celebrities including Ryan Reynolds and Charlie Puth were among the many to express their appreciation for Alex Trebek.
In the last few years, Alex Trebek acquired pancreatic cancer. The illness took a serious toll on his life. Nevertheless, except for a few breaks, he appeared as host of Jeopardy as often as possible.
He also made sure to live his remaining years to the fullest. Six months before he died, he had donated half a million dollars to charity. Much of this money went to charities to help the huge homelessness crisis in California.
He also decided that now was the best time to share stories about his personal life. Though he was a major celebrity, Alex Trebek kept much of his life private. Nevertheless, he worked relentlessly on his autobiography And The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life, which was released a few months before he passed away.
The book became a bestseller as fans were curious to know about his life journey from Canada to the United States. He wanted to share how he became the host of Jeopardy and the struggles he went through to become a success.
The funny thing is that he was actually resistant to write an autobiography at first. He felt that there was nothing notable about his life that anyone would want to read about. But after much pressure and urging on from his friends, he decided to write one after all. And we’re glad that he did…
Despite the health problems he suffered from in later life, he was known to not be a complainer! He had a major intestinal surgery yet went back to work after only 2 weeks following his surgery!
There was even one day where he arrived on set looking very exhausted. Yet, as soon as the show began filming he was as enthusiastic as he’d ever been. He was a true professional and was dedicated to his work and to entertaining audiences. He was a rare breed that we don’t find nowadays.
Toward the end of his life, he wanted to enjoy his family life as much as possible. He wanted to spend his time at home with his wife Jean before passing away on November 8. Alex Trebek will always be remembered for his work on Jeopardy.
He hosted the show for almost 40 years and he became a permanent fixture on American entertainment. Though he hailed from Canada, he became an American cultural icon. His life should serve as an inspiration for anyone who wishes to follow his dreams.
One wonders if as a teenage bellhop, he knew that he would become host of one of the most popular game shows in American television history. He will not only be remembered for his work on Jeopardy but also for his philanthropic work, his professionalism, and his kindness.
With the publication of his autobiography, we also expect to learn more about his incredible life and achievements outside of Jeopardy. We also hope that newer generations will watch reruns of Jeopardy and that he’ll always be loved for years to come.
Watch any episode of Jeopardy and you’ll be sure that he’ll always be seen as a national treasure…
Are you a fan of Alex Trebek and of Jeopardy?
What about his story do you find more inspiring? Do you feel he’ll always be remembered by future generations? We sure hope he will and we know he’ll always have a place as an icon of American culture!
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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