Do You Remember Alex Trebek’s Most Famous Cameos?
Alex Trebek died on Sunday, Nov. 8, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The famed TV personality spent nearly 37 seasons as the host of Jeopardy!, but that’s not the only show he appeared on. Trebek became such a famous face that he was asked to portray himself in various television shows. Do you remember his most famous cameos?
Alex Trebek’s first cameo came in 1990
In 1990, Trebek’s star was still on the rise, and while he hadn’t reached the height of his career just yet, he was still recognizable enough to be offered a cameo spot on Cheers. In the episode, “What is…Cliff Clavin?”, Cliff manages to secure a spot on Jeopardy! when the show comes to Boston. Cliff, who was initially confident in his ability to win, is destroyed when he sees the Final Jeopardy question.
Trebek not only appeared in the show while Cliff was a contestant, but he paid a visit to the downtrodden postal worker at Cheers. Trebek only made a single appearance on the series. Cheers ran for 11 seasons from 1982 until 1993.
The Golden Girls also had Alex Trebek on for a cameo
Just like in Cheers, Trebek portrayed himself in The Golden Girls. In the 1992 episode, Dorothy Zbornak decides to audition for Jeopardy! when the game show finds its way to Miami. Dorothy, nervous over her audition, has a lucid dream in which she must play a game of Jeopardy! against her dim best friend, Rose Nyland, and her womanizing neighbor, Charley.
The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 until 1992. Fans of the series or Trebek’s can stream the episode on Hulu. “Questions and Answers,” the episode that features Trebek, is the 16th episode of the show’s seventh season, according to IMDb.
Trebek’s last credited role outside of Jeopardy! came on Netflix
In 2018, about a year before he announced his illness to the public, Trebek appeared on the Netflix Original, Orange Is The New Black. In the episode, Trebek portrays himself and hosts a game of Jeopardy! for the inmates who found themselves moved to a maximum-security prison.
Orange Is The New Black follows the life of Piper Chapman as she figures out a way to navigate her new normal in prison. The series, which was based on a book of the same name, aired on Netflix from 2013 until 2019
