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Being back on Jeopardy! was very cool. I had the opportunity to keep going back in 2021, so getting to do it all again after a year was great. The first time you're on the show, it can be overwhelming when you step on the stage, but the Tournament of Champions is such an exciting scenario, because you're appearing with a bunch of other people who have done exactly what you've done. For me, it felt a little more relaxed, even though the stakes were higher. It felt comforting going back.
Ken Jennings hosted my quarter final game and before we started taping, I talked to him very briefly and took pictures with him. But I was only playing one game a day and he's hosting multiple games a day, so he's got a lot of work to do. In the brief encounter I had with him outside of playing the game, he was lovely.
Most of the past year I've been working at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, and that has a pretty good reputation. Ken mentioned that he had seen I was up in Ashland and that he'd been there a couple of times. He was kind of acknowledging that he had heard about what I was doing over the past year, which was cool.
Having Ken Jennings as host instead of Mayim Bialik
I was wondering if having Ken Jennings host instead of Mayim Bialik—who hosted my games in 2021—would be weird or would affect the game at all. But I don't think it did. You adjust quickly to the way a host says clues and the cadence of their voice, so I really enjoyed getting to have both of them as hosts.
But when I was told I would be playing against Andrew He, my reaction was: "He's good. He's really, really good." I wasn't nervous or scared, or thinking, "This isn't fair!" But I did think: "This could have been easier if it was someone else." Andrew is a very formidable player.
Our game on November 1 was really tight all the way through. Essentially between Andrew and I, but Christine Whelchel was definitely playing her part as well. Everyone was hunting for Daily Doubles and I didn't find any. Andrew bets big and at one point bet $10,000 on one of the Daily Doubles, and didn't get it right. So going into the Final Jeopardy I was ahead of him. I had $19,800 without any Daily Doubles. Looking back, that's a really good score to have.
In the back of my head I always think of the people on a Jeopardy! Subreddit saying, "This person didn't play well!" or "They should have done that!" But I don't think anybody can say that I didn't play optimally. It just came down to Andrew making a savvy wager at the end. I can't really be upset with myself for not being able to read his mind.
How the Tournament of Champions game played out
It came down to the Final Jeopardy but all of us got the question wrong. Andrew ended up winning by $2. I bet thinking we'd both get it right, and he bet thinking we'd both get it wrong, and anticipating my bet.
So, it was great strategically from him, and the game came down to the very last reveal of the answer. In my mind, that's the best way for a Jeopardy! game to end. It was nice to have a strong competitor to go up against, even though it means that I don't get to move on in the tournament.
After our game, I said to Andrew: "This was a great game. I'm not mad at you. But you better win the whole tournament now!" I don't feel bad about losing the game, but I would feel even less bad if Andrew went on to win overall. It would be cool to see Andrew go up against Matt Amodio in the Tournament of Champions final.
They have a similar style and a really broad base of knowledge. They're both really smart. And they also bet really big, so that could be interesting to see. But all three of the players who won the most games last year—Amy Schneider, Matt and Mattea Roach—are so good.
Missing out on playing Matt Amodio in the Tournament of Champions
The callous way of thinking about losing my game is that I have already beaten Matt Amodio so I don't need to play him again in the Tournament of Champions. I couldn't say whether Matt's relieved that he doesn't have to play me now!
Truthfully, I was excited to play two other people I hadn't played before. It would have been nice to play some other people too, and if Matt had been part of that, it would have been great.
But it was nice to have that camaraderie and continuity too seeing him backstage while the games were being taped in the studio. This year, Matt sat in the exact same place and I sat in the exact same place as we had in 2021.
Matt earned a bye directly to the semi-finals but I know he certainly watched the quarter final day from the studio. I remember saying to him, "This is weird, we're here doing this again." That was cool.
Who should host Jeopardy! permanently?
In September, I would have said Ken should be the permanent host on Jeopardy! He's the greatest player of all time. He's got that experience and expertise that really shines through when he's hosting. But Mayim has been hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! and she's really, really good. I like that balance of Ken doing the regular games and the Tournament of Champions and Mayim hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! and the college shows.
I think it will be helpful not to burn either one of them out, because it's a lot of work to tape multiple shows in a day, and it's even harder when you're there reading clues for 30 minutes.
Spending Jeopardy! winnings
I haven't really spent any of my $246,100 winnings. Jeopardy! sent my check in the mail, so I immediately drove to the bank to deposit it and get that enormous amount of money out of my house. I put most of it into various savings and investments and I'm still thinking about what would be the best way to use it.
The funniest thing is that I bought an electric can opener that is magnetized and really fancy. It was $50 which is an absurd amount for a can opener and it's actually too fancy. It's kind of hard to use. I don't regret it, but it made me think: "Is this what fancy expensive stuff is like?" Maybe I don't need to start looking at that. I can crank a can with my hand and it'll be just fine.
I also chipped a filling off my tooth out of state and had to go to the dentist and pay out of pocket. And I could. It's helpful having a bit of a cushion. Say my cat has to have dental surgery? We can cover it and not worry about how much it costs. That's probably been the most noticeable aspect about having this kind of cushion; the freedom.
Acting is still my goal and having my Jeopardy! winnings does make it a bit easier. This December, I don't need to be desperately looking for another gig, because I have this cushion with which to enjoy the holidays.
As far as I know this is the end of my Jeopardy! journey. It feels kind of funny to say that because I've been there so many times. I kept going back in 2021 and then I was there again for the Tournament of Champions.
Of course, it's possible I'll appear again, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm happy. If this is the end, it's a good way to go out.
Jonathan Fisher is an actor living in California. You can follow Fisher on Twitter @jfishthedish or Instagram @jonathanfisherjr.
All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
As told to Jenny Haward.
