32 Actors Who Have Competed On Celebrity Jeopardy

As I delve into the fascinating lives of these remarkable individuals, it becomes evident that they are not just celebrities but also passionate advocates and knowledge-thirsty intellectuals. Their participation in Jeopardy! is a testament to their versatility and thirst for knowledge.

On the popular show “Celebrity Jeopardy!”, while the contestants might not be recognized as the top winners on regular “Jeopardy!”, they have collectively raised millions of dollars for charity over time. These well-known personalities, who’ve already won us over with their acting skills, further impressed us with their intellectual prowess.

Lisa Ann Walter

In a role where she educates second-graders on “Abbott Elementary”, Lisa Ann Walter demonstrated an impressive teaching ability that extended beyond the classroom, as she outshone fully grown celebrities in the year 2024’s “Celebrity Jeopardy!”. Her remarkable performance carried her through to the season finale and earned her a $1 million grand prize. This generous sum was donated to her charity of preference, The Entertainment Community Fund.

Simu Liu

Actor Simu Liu, known for his role as Barbie, demonstrated he was more than capable when he advanced to the Semifinals of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 2022 and pocketed $50,000 for the organization Stop AAPI Hate. Regrettably, Liu came up short against Ike Barinholtz in that particular game, with Barinholtz ultimately taking home the championship title.

Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Shepherd has done it all. She’s a stand-up comedian and an actor on numerous movies and TV shows. She’s been on Broadway twice and now hosts her own eponymous daytime talk show Sherri. In 2023 she took time out of her busy schedule to win $30,000 for the Move-In Day Mafia Initiative at Project Dreamlight when she finished in the quarterfinals of Celebrity Jeopardy!.

John Michael Higgins

In various roles as a game show host, principal of the revived “Saved by the Bell,” or providing witty lines in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, John Michael Higgins demonstrated his intelligence when he won $50,000 for the Actors’ Equity Foundation and the Entertainment Community Fund in 2022.

Michael Cera

Michael Cera pocketed a $50,000 prize in the 2023 version of ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’. This actor is predominantly recognized for his parts in ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’, and ‘Superbad’.

Patton Oswalt

Before stepping into the role of a top-notch game show host on “The 1% Club,” I, Patton Oswalt, demonstrated my skills as a competitor first. In the year 2023, I graced the stage of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and ended up runner-up overall, raking in an impressive $250,000 for the charity Alice’s Kids.

Brendan Hunt

It’s no surprise that soccer enthusiasts were aware that Brendan Hunt, one of the creators of Ted Lasso alongside Jason Sudeikis, held a deep affection for soccer. However, his dedication to the sport became even more evident when he advanced to the semifinals in Celebrity Jeopardy! back in 2023. Not only did he make it that far, but he also generously donated $50,000 to Soccer Without Borders as a parting gift.

Wil Wheaton

Wil Wheaton has had a long and varied career spanning several decades, starting as a young actor in films such as “Stand by Me” and television series like “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Throughout his illustrious career, he’s also done voice acting, narrated numerous audiobooks, and most recently, he became a contestant on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 2022, making it to the finals. In this competition, Wheaton placed third, winning $100,000 that he generously donated to the National Women’s Law Center.

Ike Barinholtz

Known for his humor on MADtv, where surprisingly enough, Ike Barinholtz impersonated Alex Trebek, and other comedic endeavors, Barinholtz’s appearance on the celebrity edition of a legendary game show was anything but amusing. In a climactic turn of events during the 2023 finale of Celebrity Jeopardy!, he outsmarted Patton Oswalt and Wil Wheaton, pocketing $1 million for Hollygrove, an affiliate of Pacific Clinics.

As an avid fan, I’m thrilled to share that Ike Barinholtz clinched a place in the Tournament of Champions on Celebrity Jeopardy!, going head-to-head with non-celebrity opponents. In the quarterfinals, I was ecstatic when he outsmarted Melissa Klapper, a previous three-day champion, and Ray Lalonde, a 13-day champ, propelling himself to the Semifinals. Although his Tournament of Champions journey ended there, every round he played only amplified my admiration for his intellect!

Utkarsh Ambudkar

Utkarsh Ambudkar, recognized for his roles in “Ghosts,” “Pitch Perfect,” and other productions, both on screen and stage, won $50,000 in 2024 for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance and Disaster Relief Fund. This fund provides aid to struggling artists. Lisa Ann Walter, who eventually took home a million dollars on the game show, ended Ambudkar’s run, but $50,000 is still a significant sum.

Penn Jillette

Penn Jillette performed on his own during the 2015 episode of Celebrity Jeopardy!, as it appears Teller, his silent counterpart from the Las Vegas magic-comedy duo, couldn’t offer assistance. However, Penn seemed self-sufficient without needing any aid. He won $50,000 for Opportunity Village Foundation by outperforming Project Runway star Cynthia Rowley and American Horror Story actor Zachary Quinto in the competition.

Mira Sorvino

2024 saw Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino putting her intellect and kindness on display as she donated her $50,000 winnings from Celebrity Jeopardy! to the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking.

Steven Weber

In 2024, during the second prime-time season of Celebrity Jeopardy! on ABC, Chicago Med actor Steven Weber made a return, having previously competed and ended up as the first runner-up against Cheech Marin in a 1992 edition of the charity game. To reiterate, his latest performance also saw him finishing second to Katie Nolan.

Dulé Hill

Actor Dulé Hill, known for roles in shows like “The West Wing”, “Psych”, and the reboot of “The Wonder Years”, showcased his tap dancing skills on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 2024. Having triumphed in the quarterfinals of ABC’s prime-time competition, he advanced to the semifinals but was defeated by Katie Nolan and Steven Weber. Despite this loss, Hill managed to raise $50,000 for charity All Rise with his winnings.

Rachel Dratch

Comedian Rachel Dratch showed her trivia prowess in 2023, earning $50,000 for City Harvest and proving that she was far from the “Debbie Downer” character she played. Starting with victories against WWE star Becky Lynch and “My Girl” actor Macaulay Culkin, Dratch advanced to the semifinals before being defeated by Mo Rocca.

Heather McMahan

Comedian Heather McMahan is frequently spotted on the red carpet, grilling other celebrities about their fashion decisions. But when she reached the semifinals of the celebrity game show in 2024, it was her time to shine, enabling her to donate a generous $50K to City of Refuge.

Andy Richter

Known primarily as Conan O’Brien’s chat-show companion, comedian Andy Richter has an impressive history with “Jeopardy!”. Back in 1999, he triumphed on the celebrity edition of the show, taking home a grand total of $29,400 for the Southern Poverty Law Center as the winner. In 2010, he made history by setting the record for the highest one-day score in “Celebrity Jeopardy!” with an astonishing $68,000, all of which went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Most recently, in 2022, he stepped onto the Alex Trebek Stage once more, finishing as runner-up and securing a prize of $30,000 for The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Neil Flynn

Actor Neil Flynn, best known for his roles in shows like The Middle, Scrubs, and Clone High, took part in a charity game back in 2015 and managed to raise an impressive $50,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. During the competition, he outsmarted creators such as Vince Gilligan (from Breaking Bad) and Debra Messing (Will & Grace).

Joel Kim Booster

Joel Kim Booster has taken on various roles in Hollywood – producing, writing, acting, and even penning and starring in the 2022 comedy “Fire Island” – but in the same year, he also made it to the semifinals of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”, winning a total of $50,000 for the Selah Neighborhood Homeless Coalition.

Mo Rocca

Mo Rocca, a humorist who previously worked as a correspondent on The Daily Show, initially appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2015. There, he bested Wendi McLendon-Covey from The Goldbergs and CNN’s John Berman to take home $41,600. In the years 2023-24, Rocca returned to the show, reaching the finale only to be runner-up to Lisa Ann Walter, pocketing a grand total of $250,000. Throughout both seasons, he played in support of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund.

Bellamy Young

Bellamy Young’s character climbed the political ladder in the Shonda Rhimes series, “Scandal,” eventually reaching the presidency through cunning means. However, it’s highly unlikely that the actress herself employs such underhanded tactics as her character Millie Grant. Yet, given her impressive education from Yale University, one should never underestimate this talented actress. In 2015, she triumphed over Josh Gad of “Frozen” and Ginger Zee from “Good Morning America,” winning a $50K donation for Operation Blankets of Love in a charitable competition.

Michael McKean

Michael McKean embarked on his ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ adventure as far back as 1999, when he bagged $15,400 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. He reappeared in 2006 and pocketed $50,000 for both the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the International Myeloma Foundation. However, this versatile actor who has portrayed diverse characters from a heavy metal musician in ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ to a loving dog father in ‘Best in Show’ to the stern lawyer Chuck McGill on ‘Better Call Saul’ didn’t stop there. In 2015, he reached the pinnacle by winning the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational, contributing once more to the International Myeloma Foundation.

Aisha Tyler

Aisha Tyler, a comedian and actress, has taken part in multiple versions of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”, including the 2009-10 tournament where she bested Anderson Cooper and Cheech Marin. Instead of keeping her winnings, she donated half to the International Rescue Committee and Doctors Without Borders. In 2022, after triumphing over John Michael Higgins and Matt Rogers in a quarterfinal match, she generously contributed her $30,000 prize to Planned Parenthood.

Mark Duplass

Mark Duplass showcases a versatile skillset, working together with his brother Jay in writing, directing, and producing films, while also acting on television series such as “The League,” “The Morning Show,” and “Good American Family.” One of these talents seems to extend to trivia, as he claimed a $30,000 prize in 2023 for Blink Now.

Timothy Simons

Timothy Simons is known for bringing laughter to shows such as “Veep” and “Nobody Wants This”, but his $30,000 donation to the Friends of LAHSA in 2023 likely brought joy to many more people too.

Brian Baumgartner

Brian Baumgartner is primarily recognized for his role as Kevin on The Office, yet it’s unlikely that anyone at the Motion Picture Television Fund found him uncooperative when he donated $30,000 from his 2023 appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy!.

Alicia Witt

You might recognize Alicia Witt from various roles such as the horror film “Longlegs”, her Hallmark rom-coms or the rebellious daughter in “Cybill”. What you may not know is that she’s quite intelligent, having competed on a game show twice – in 1996 and 1998. In each instance, she won $10,000, with the proceeds going to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Covenant House California respectively. Interestingly, in the 1998 competition, she faced off against her contemporary peers Melissa Joan Hart and Fred Savage, but in 1996, she was teamed up with Robert Loggia and Renee Taylor, who were both over four decades older than Witt.

Christopher Meloni

In 2009, Christopher Meloni, a star from Law & Order: SVU, won $25,000 for Smile Train at the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. Fast forward to 2023, he reappeared and secured another $30K for the Global Lyme Alliance.

Macaulay Culkin

Who would have thought that the kid from “Home Alone”, Kevin McCallister, could keep up on the Alex Trebek stage? But surprisingly, Macaulay Culkin, the man behind Kevin, did just that. In 2023, he even took part in a game show and managed to donate an impressive $30,000 to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. It’s too bad Catherine O’Hara, aka my mom, wasn’t there to cheer me on with her famous “Kevin!

Cynthia Nixon

2023 saw actress, producer, and activist Cynthia Nixon take home a $30,000 prize on an episode of ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’. She generously chose to donate her winnings to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. In this particular competition, Nixon placed third behind Cedric the Entertainer and Heather McMahan, who were the top two contestants.

Amanda Seales

Amanda Seales is primarily recognized for her role as Tiffany DuBois on HBO’s “Insecure,” yet she boasts a multifaceted career that encompasses podcasting, comedy, social activism, and beyond. Notably, she can now add “Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant” to her list of achievements, having won an impressive $30,000 for the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors supporting Grantmakers for Girls of Color in 2023.

Katie Nolan

In the world of sports journalism, Katie Nolan made a name for herself. But her talents reached far beyond that field when she reached the finals of Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2024, demonstrating a broad range of knowledge. Although she came in third place behind Lisa Ann Walter and Mo Rocca, she still walked away with $100,000 for the Association for Women in Sports Media.

2024-11-19 16:38