Alex Trebek Height, Weight, Age, Spouse, Family, Facts, Biography

 Posted on March 15, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  870 words  |  Carisa Kissane
Alex Trebek Quick Info
Height5 ft 8 in
Weight68 kg
Date of BirthJuly 22, 1940
Zodiac SignCancer
Date of DeathNovember 8, 2020

Alex Trebek was a Canadian television personality, game show host, and actor who was best known for being the host of the famous syndicated game show Jeopardy and also for hosting the TV game shows like The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare, High Rollers, and To Tell the Truth. He holds the record to have hosted the most game show episodes for the same program.

Born Name

George Alexander Trebek

Nick Name

Alex

Age

Alex was born on July 22, 1940.

Died

Alex died on November 8, 2020, at the age of 80, at his home in Los Angeles, California, U.S., after fighting pancreatic cancer for over 18 months.

Sun Sign

Cancer

Born Place

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Nationality

Canadian

Education

Alex attended the University of Ottawa and graduated in 1961 with a degree in Philosophy.

Occupation

Television Personality, Game Show Host, Actor

Family

  • Father – George Edward Trebek (Chef)
  • Mother – Lucille Lagacé
  • Siblings – Barbara Trebek (Sister)
  • Others – William Trebek (Paternal Grandfather), Vera Shauchuck (Paternal Grandmother), Benjamin Lagacé (Maternal Grandfather), Sophie-Adelaïde Bélanger (Maternal Grandmother)

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 8 in or 173 cm

Weight

68 kg or 150 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Alex had dated –

  • Elaine Callei (1974-1981) – Alex married businesswoman Elaine Callei in 1974. This was Elaine’s 2nd marriage. The couple did not have any children together but Alex adopted Elaine’s daughter Nicky from her previous marriage. They divorced in 1981.
  • Jean Currivan (1990-2020) – Alex married real estate project manager, Jean Currivan in 1990. They have had 2 children together named Matthew Trebek and Emily Trebek. The relationship ended in November 2020, as Alex passed due to pancreatic cancer.

    • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He was of Ukrainian descent on his father’s side and had French-Canadian and some amount of the British Isles/Irish ancestry on his mother’s side.

    Hair Color

    White

    Eye Color

    Dark Brown

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Mostly wore glasses
    • His beard and mustache

    Brand Endorsements

    Alex had appeared in the commercials for the following brands –

    • National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board (Print ad) (1999)
    • WebTV (1999)
    • Sundown Herbals (1999)
    • Conseco Direct Life (1999)
    • The Phonics Game (1998)
    • Colonial Penn Insurance
    • Holiday Inn Express (2003)
    • Alaska Airlines (Radio commercials) (1998)
    • Emerald Downs Racetrack (TV and Radio commercials)
    • DirecTV (2010)
    • Wheat Thins crackers (2012)

    Best Known For

    • Being the host of the famous syndicated game show Jeopardy! since its revival in 1984 until 2020
    • Hosting popular TV game shows like The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare, High Rollers, Classic Concentration, and To Tell the Truth

    First Film

    Alex made his theatrical film debut in Dying Young as the host of Jeopardy in 1991.

    First TV Show

    Alex made his first TV show appearance in Music Hop as a host in 1963.

    Personal Trainer

    As per an interview in 2014, Alex revealed that he was eating a Snickers and a Diet Pepsi for breakfast for almost a year and even after a warning from his nutritionist, he did not switch to a healthy breakfast. He joked about replacing his breakfast with Milky Way and Diet Cokes. Alex said that he was not able to have a good breakfast because of his work schedule but he did have a good solid dinner.

    Alex Trebek Favorite Things

    • Author – Mark Twain

    Source – IMDb

    Alex Trebek Facts

  • He worked as a garbage man in Cincinnati, United States, but returned to his country Canada to complete his studies in 1961.
  • He had always wanted to be a news anchor and was even a member of his college English Debating Society.
  • While he was still a college student, Alex wanted to make a career in broadcast news and event before the completion of his degree, he began working with CBC in 1961.
  • The last year of his college life was very hectic as he attended school in the mornings and worked at night. According to him, he worked so much that at one time, he had replaced “every announcer in every possible job”.
  • After working mindlessly, he eventually got to read the national news. He was also on CBC’s radio and television divisions and covered a variety of special events.
  • In 1963, he got his first hosting job which was on Music Hop, a Canadian music program.
  • Alex began hosting the revival of Jeopardy! in 1984. On May 2, 2017, his contract with the show was renewed till 2020 which was further extended until 2022.
  • He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998.
  • Alex grew up in a bilingual French-English environment. Hence, he was a fluent English and French speaker. He could also speak some German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian.
  • In 2014, he was honored by the Guinness World Record as the person who has hosted the most game show episodes for the same program.
  • TV personalities Pat Sajak and Vanna White, Justin Trudeau (Canadian Prime Minister), Ken Jennings (Game Show contestant and author), and Ryan Reynolds were the ones who paid him early tribute on his death.
  • Alex had filmed his final episode of Jeopardy just 10 days before his death on November 8, 2020.
  • Alex’s Jeopardy! wardrobe was donated to the nonprofit organization The Doe Fund after his death in February 2021.

    • Featured Image by Peabody Awards / Flickr / CC BY-2.0

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