Jeopardy! viewers have been obsessed over a recent contestant who many think is a perfect doppelganger for legendary comedian and actor Steve Martin. On Wednesday’s episode, Sam Buttrey — an associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California — went head-to-head-to-head with two other payers on the iconic quiz show. Almost immediately, Jeopardy! fans began taking to social media to comment on how Buttrey bears an uncanny resemblance to Martin.
Notably, looking at photos of the men side-by-side, it becomes clear that they really do have similar features beyond just both having white hair and glasses. The shapes of their noses are close to one another, as are their eyes and ears. Interestingly, Buttrey ended up being the episode’s big champ, which puts him in the Professors Tournament semi-finals. The winner of that tournament will leave with a $100,000 cash prize. Even still, it seems viewers are more distracted by Buttrey’s resemblance to Martin, than his impressive Jeopardy! skills. Scroll down to see what people are saying on Twitter!
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Only Murders Season 2?
“[Steve Martin] is this you on Jeopardy tonight,” a fan tweeted to the actor. “Maybe for some plot for season 2 of Only Murders?”
“Wild and Crazy Guy”
“Anyone else think Sam, on tonight’s show,bears a striking resemblance to Steve Martin?” a Jeopardy! fan asked her fellow watchers.
“Kathy Bates”
“Am I watching Professor Sam, or is that really Steve Martin slaying the game?” someone asked rhetorically.
“King Tut”
“I like that they had a contestant on Jeopardy! who looked like Steve Martin on the same day they had a King Tut category,” a watcher pointed out.
“SNL Skit”
“I mean this in the nicest way possible but the male professor on Jeopardy tonight looks like Steve Martin doing [an] SNL Jeopardy skit,” a fan quipped.
“Doppelgänger”
“I [guess everyone’s] thoughts are the same: he really looked like Steve Martin! I would say he’s Steve Martin’s long-lost brother,” a viewer endearingly joked. “He’s got a great game!
“Stunt Double”
“This could be Steve Martin’s stunt double,” one fan commented.