Originally, I think, I wanted to be an actor. But I got into broadcasting by accident, if you will, because I needed money to pay for my college education. I applied for a summer announcing job at a couple of radio stations.
You should never wear a baseball cap when working in close quarters in the attic: You never see that beam above you!
The only reason I got into broadcasting was, I needed money to pay for my junior and senior years at college, and they hired me, those fools!
I believe the 'Jeopardy!' test is more difficult than being a contestant on the program.
My job is to provide the atmosphere and assistance to the contestants to get them to perform at their very best. And if I'm successful doing that, I will be perceived as a nice guy, and the audience will think of me as being a bit of a star.
I go through these cycles where I read a lot and then watch TV a lot.
Sex? Unfortunately, as you get older - and I shouldn't admit this - there are other things that become more important in your daily life.
I would have loved to have a role in the HBO series 'Deadwood.' It was Shakespeare in the Old West.
Don't minimize the importance of luck in determining life's course.
I did everything - I did newscasts, I did sports, I did dramas.
When I finish as the host of 'Jeopardy!' I'm going to go up to Taft in central California. They have a small college there that teaches you about oil drilling.
My musical development stopped when Frank Sinatra died.
I don't gamble, because winning a hundred dollars doesn't give me great pleasure. But losing a hundred dollars pisses me off.
I think what makes 'Jeopardy!' special is that, among all the quiz and game shows out there, ours tends to encourage learning.
When you're in your 30s and actively pursuing a career and a home life, a wife and children, you're busy doing as opposed to busy thinking. As you get older, even as you don't have as much time, I think you tend to think more and reflect more on what is happening in your own life.
'Music Hop' in 1963 was my first hosting job of a variety program.
If you can't be in awe of Mother Nature, there's something wrong with you.
We are all experts in our own little niches.
It's very important in life to know when to shut up. You should not be afraid of silence.
I have an Apple computer, which I use to play Spider Solitaire and do research on the Internet.
