Steve Martin's Jeopardy! Lookalike Is Turning Heads
Can we just take a second to appreciate the legend Steve Martin is?! With classics such as "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Father of the Bride" under his belt, Martin has dedicated a lifetime to making audiences around the world laugh. And after a quiet 2010s, the comedian-slash-banjo player is now enjoying a late-stage career resurgence — creating and starring in Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
In creating the show, Martin told AARP, "I thought, Wait, I'm old — I could be in it" before also enlisting Martin Short, whom he refers to as "the imp who aged!" Martin continued, "True crime is one of my favorite genres," while noting that he's "less interested in the angst and pain of the crime, and more interested in how it's solved, with modern crime-fighting science."
A man of many tastes, not only has comedy and true crime drawn Martin's attention, but also music. A recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, Martin focused on his bluegrass career through the 2010s and even became a father for the first time during his comedic hiatus! But with Steve Martin's career resurgence in tow, it's almost as if he's starting to pop up everywhere now, including "Jeopardy!"
This 'Jeopardy!' champion looks just like Steve Martin
Talk about a doppelganger! In December, "Jeopardy!" contestant Sam Buttrey took the game show world by storm with his bedazzling smarts — winning the show's first-ever Professors Tournament. "This has been the greatest time, and to come out ahead of all these other great players is something I'll remember forever," Buttrey stated, per Jeopardy!
And not only did the associate college professor shock with his brainpower, but he also had fans' heads turning with his uncanny resemblance to Steve Martin. "That is definitely Steve Martin," one Twitter user wrote, while several others agreed. "Rooting for Steve Martin," said another. Martin himself even chimed in after Buttrey's big win, tweeting, "So great to split the prize money with Sam!" The official "Jeopardy!" account even extended a warm welcome to Martin, writing, "We would love to have you on Jeopardy! anytime, in any capacity!" Um, yes, please!
An associate professor of operations research at Monterey, California's Naval Postgraduate School, Buttrey took home $20,000 on his first day on the show. The second day? $15,600! He would ultimately go on to become "Jeopardy!'s" first-ever Professors Tournament champion, winning a grand prize of $100,000.