Alex Trebek
Here is the answer: Emmy Award-winning game show host extraordinaire. “Who is Alex Trebek?” Right! As host of “Jeopardy!” since 1984, he is privy to an encyclopedic breadth of knowledge. The Canadian-born philosophy major (he has dual citizenship) began his career in broadcast news and found his way to game show hosting. Despite two heart attacks, he is no worse for the wear. The 73-year-old will be one of the celebrity guests aboard the Turner Classic Movies third Classic Cruise also featuring Robert Wagner, Jane Powell and others. The Dec. 8-13 cruise on the Disney Magic departs from Miami. For more information, go to www. TCMcruise.com.
What kind of student were you?
I was a good student — inquisitive, not quite funny enough to be class clown but liked to kid around a great deal in class.
Reading about your parents, I wondered if they were who drove you.
No, not really. I don’t think I can attribute it to my parents. Unless of course you just add that my parents wanted me to have a good education. They didn’t push me in any one direction. They were supportive as I would expect most parents to be with their children. My interests were developed by myself, really.
As the host of “Jeopardy!” I imagine you have absorbed a lot of knowledge. Do you find people’s expectations of what you know to be overblown?
No, I don’t get to experience that too much because people don’t approach me that way anymore. They did at the beginning. When “Jeopardy!” first went on the air, I would run into p people, strangers, and they would quiz q me immediately ately on different things. After a while that got to b be old hat. People just don’t do it anymore. anym I guess they figure I’m fairly bright br or I wouldn’t be hosting the show the way I do.
I learn a lot by hosting the program, gram, but unless it’s something I am really interested interes in, a subject that fascina fascinates me for some reason, I am not likely to retain t that information. My brai brain is so cluttered now th that I don’t have room fo for anything else.
Wh What will your role be on the TCM Crui Cruise next month?
I am going to be intr introducing one mot motion picture and I’m going to be con-