‘Jeopardy’ Viewers Freaked Out When They Recognized This Contestant

When it comes to Jeopardy!, pretty much nothing is off the table. Ties can be broken, dirty jokes can be made, and a lot of money can be lost. While a lot of the contestants are average folks, sometimes, a familiar face can pop up – and that’s exactly what happened on yesterday’s episode. Ready to be quizzed by Alex Trebek yesterday were McKayle Bruce, a Washington D.C. attorney, returning champion Zach Dark, an Alabama investment analyst, and Paris Themmen, who claimed to be a California entrepreneur – but it turns out he was harboring a super sweet secret.

The show proceeded fairly uneventfully; per usual, during the interview segments, the contestants discussed small personal details and hobbies. When Themmen chatted about his love of backpacking the world (he’s been to six continents!), however, viewers began to notice that he seemed familiar for more than his traveling skills…

Themmen, while now working as an entrepreneur in North Hollywood, was in fact a child actor best known for playing Mike Teavee in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so it seems pretty fitting that he return to the small screen he once obsessed over. While Jeopardy! didn’t choose to highlight his past, eagle-eyed fans couldn’t help but cheer him on from home when they realized where they knew him from.

The former actor/entrepreneur may have come in second place in the end, but this isn’t Themmen’s first rodeo with Jeopardy!, either – it turns out his wife Nikki is a two-time champion.

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