Jeopardy! recently crowned the winner of its first-ever Professors’ Tournament. But, the winner might have had you doing a double-take due to his similarities to a certain famous funnyman. Professor Sam Buttrey, who teaches at the Naval Postgraduate School, has everyone saying that he could pass for Steve Martin’s twin. On Twitter, Martin himself weighed in on his doppelganger’s win with, naturally, a good-natured joke.
Buttrey ended up victorious in the Professors’ Tournament. He took home $100,000 in prize money following his win. The professor will also return for the annual Tournament of Champions thanks to his accomplishment. Following the tournament, many took to social media to congratulate Buttrey, Martin included. Although, the actor did joke that he wants a piece of the pie.
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Jeopardy later weighed in on Martin’s tweet. They wrote that they would welcome him on the show “anytime” and “in any capacity.” It’s unclear whether Martin will take them up on the offer. But, it certainly would be fun to see him behind the lectern, perhaps as a guest host. The quiz show announced that the first-ever Professors’ Tournament earlier this year. The event was hosted by Mayim Bialik, who has been serving as a host as Jeopardy continues its search for Alex Trebek’s official replacement. Bialik stated about the newest competition, “It was an unbelievable thrill to see so many brilliant professors from all kinds of schools and backgrounds come together on the Jeopardy! stage. There was a sense of kinship and academic camaraderie among the group, along with a healthy dose of competitiveness. That energy made this inaugural Professors Tournament incredibly special.”
Both Bialik and Ken Jennings have been tapped to helm the program amid the search for a permanent host. It was previously announced that Bialik would serve as the host for future primetime specials. Viewers will get to see a lot more of the guest hosts, as Jeopardy announced that they would take turns helming the show for the remainder of the season. As Jeopardy! fans know, these changes came after the controversy surrounding Mike Richards, the former executive producer of the show who was tapped to serve as the permanent host. He later stepped down from the position and was fired altogether from both Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, as he served as a producer on the programs.
