The average American (and most Canadians) think Alex Trabek is really smart.
They figure he has to be since he has hosted "Jeopardy," one of the most popular game shows on television for more than 34 years. Trebek recently marked his 78th birthday...
...and when his contract with the show expires in 2020, he hints he will probably retire.
He was born in Greater Sudbury, Canada on July 22, 1940, the son of a chef. After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy, he went to work for the Canadian News Corp. as a news reporter and spent several years broadcasting news in Canada.
Married twice with two children, Matthew and Emily, he and his wife, Jean, moved to America in 1978. He became a U.S. citizen in 1998 and began hosting game shows such as The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare, High Rollers and To Tell The Truth.
Trabek grew up in a bilingual French-English household. He owned and managed a 700-acre ranch called Creston Farms near Paso Robles, CA. that bred and trained thoroughbred race horses. He sold the ranch in 2008.
And while he got involved in racing horses for money -- he produced some winning race horses on his ranch -- he admits he hates to lose money gambling. "Winning $100 in a poker game wouldn't make much difference to me," he said in an interview, "but losing it would piss me off."
His millions of Jeopardy fans included Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Stewart. When he was asked how smart he really is, Trabek smiled and admitted the answers to the questions he poses to contestants are written on a sheet of paper in front of him.
Trabek grew up in the Catholic Church. He considers himself a good Catholic, and says he believes in women priests. After the sexual misconduct was revealed in the Catholic clergy, he said he feels priests should be permitted to marry.
On politics:
he considers himself an independent who leans toward the Libertarian Party. He keeps politics out of his life as a television host, and says he is still watching President Donald Trump before making a judgement on his performance.
While he loves his television work, he has suffered two heart attacks since 2009. He and his wife enjoy a glass of wine, and he says after he hosts his final Jeopardy show, "We will probably retire to our home, pour a glass of chardonnay, look at each other and say:
'What's next?'
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
