Although Jeopardy! was a huge part of the cultural colloquial, fifty-fifty when I was young, I didn't grow upwardly in a household that watched the show regularly. We simply didn't spotter much TV together. But during my time on Blossom, there was actually an episode where Alex Trebek appeared in a dream sequence. He and I didn't film together but it was enormously meaning for our testify to have such an iconic star appear. Jeopardy! was already such an enormous part of our culture.

Whenever I watched the show and tried to play along, I was the kind of person who always got everything incorrect. The kind of knowledge you need for the evidence, like 16th-century French philosophy, is not where I excel. The truth is, I never idea that I would accept the opportunity to take the path I am now on.

Earlier this twelvemonth, my 15-yr-old son told me that he had seen people online saying that I should guest host Jeopardy! I chosen my agent, Richard Weitz, and joked with him that my son and I thought I'd be dandy at hosting. Richard told me he was already on it. I'm not sure if he was pretending to exist, or if he really was already on it, merely a couple of weeks later I got a call from Jeopardy!.

When I showtime guest-hosted, I had to acquire all the rules and the language of the show. My mom asked me why every answer was in the form of a question—that'south how fiddling she knew most Jeopardy! At least I knew that, but I was terrified to accept on invitee hosting. At that stage, there had already been guest hosts that the net was buzzing about so I was actually nervous.

Only hosting felt very natural and I felt very connected to the coiffure and the staff. I rarely have the feel of feeling I belong somewhere after such a short period of fourth dimension, yet I had a spooky—but positive—feeling when I was there. I remember saying: "I don't want to leave." At that indicate, I knew aught about what was going to happen.

I never watch myself, and I was directing a movie I wrote, Every bit Ill as They Made Usa, when my episodes aired in June, simply I tried to watch them after long days of shooting. I recall thinking that was strange; if you're going to sentry yourself, why watch yourself when you're not really on photographic camera? Something really drew me to keep tabs on how I was perceived; maybe intuition about a hereafter with Jeopardy!?

Just I was so busy making this movie and I was too sure that someone newsy, like Savannah Guthrie, was going to be made the permanent host, so a lot of the buzz virtually me condign a regular Jeopardy! host went in one ear and out the other. It is also a bear witness that has such a legacy, and with the grief from Alex's death so fresh, I had no idea what the executive producers were going to want to exercise. I had to be patient.

Jeopardy! guest host Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik will be sharing Jeopardy! hosting duties with Ken Jennings through to the end of 2021. Storm Santos

I was actually called in to talk to Sony executives earlier I'd fifty-fifty unpacked from filming my movie. I was told that I was going to exist hosting primetime specials and the Jeopardy! National Higher Championship and that in that location were a lot of possibilities with that. As someone who had a actually positive college experience and took sports very seriously, the Jeopardy! National College Championship sounded crawly.

The first person to say to me, "You're going to get this gig" had been my long time friend and The Big Blindside Theory guest cast fellow member, Wil Wheaton, and so when the news came out, he immediately said: "I was correct! I knew it!" The person I hear from about quickly after Jeopardy! news hits the press is Candice Bergen, who stars in my picture show. She obviously has her finger on the pulse, considering I get an email every bit soon every bit any news about me comes out. Dustin Hoffman, who co-stars in my moving picture, too emailed me when he saw the news about me hosting more regularly, but he probably heard it from Candice, which is adorable. During filming of As Sick as They Made U.s., they were both reporting to me every bit my episodes were airing, telling me how I did the night before.

I didn't immediately know who the other host was going to be, and after Mike Richards was appear as permanent host, a couple more weeks passed and then everything changed and Mike stepped down.

I remember anybody who works with me will say that, every bit a person who has been acting since I was a kid, I get where I'one thousand pointed and I practise the task I'm told to do. I practise what's in front of me. I don't really follow the news aspect of my industry too much.

Jeopardy! guest host Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik's episodes hosting Jeopardy! begin airing on 9/20. Storm Santos

That's how I approached what was going on. Of grade I was in touch with Mike as he was my boss at that time, and I don't wish sick on him, or anyone. Only the complexity of these situations is not something that can be summed up hands. My get-go response, when all of this went down, was to say to the Jeopardy! team: "How tin I help?" Because I am part of this family.

I experience very honored to have been given the responsibility and the opportunity to step up into this hosting position. It's been as dreamy as it was for the two days that I guest hosted. I work very long days, but they fly past. We shoot 5 episodes a day and I get to come across fascinating people from all walks of life.

Of course, I am grateful and honored to cleave out and so much of my time on behalf of Jeopardy!, considering I feel very connected to the testify, the legacy and everything that Alex and the squad behind the scenes accept built.

Information technology probably sounds crazy, but you definitely feel Alex'southward presence on that stage. As someone who didn't necessarily grow upwards with the abiding presence of Alex in my living room, I feel him everywhere on that stage and I get to work with people who for decades worked then closely with him and whom he chosen friends. That's what feels actually special.

There volition never be another Alex, on photographic camera or off. It'south of import not to try and exist him, considering y'all can't, but as I larn more most him, I run across how much he made his life an act of devotion to humanity. That's the legacy that I hold so love as I go to work each twenty-four hours.

I got to take over hosting duties in the middle of Matt Amodio's run. He'southward so on the ball and so well-rounded and easy-going, and I just marvel at that. So far, Ken Jennings—who I am sharing hosting duties with for the rest of 2021—and I have only had the chance to collaborate once at a press conference, he is much taller than I idea he would be! I look forrad to the opportunity to talk to him more. I'll certainly take any pointers he's got!

I do go back and along every twenty-four hour period that I work, trying to determine whether it's more helpful that I'm an role player who happens to be able to think on their anxiety, or that I'm a scientist who can pronounce a lot of words that other people may take a harder fourth dimension pronouncing. Unfortunately, my scientific discipline credentials don't not assistance me as much as I wish they would! Just being an actor who thinks very speedily—although not always correctly!—has definitely helped; I'd say about 75 percent of the time it's helpful that I am an actor.

Of course, there are times when I brand as well many jokes, or when I don't make plenty jokes. One of the notes I received was that I sound too excited when people get things right. I had to exist reminded that viewers watching at home await the contestants to get a lot right, so I don't have to say "YES!" every time. But I am genuinely excited when they go things right—how can you not be?!

When I left The Big Bang Theory, I said that at that place would never be some other chore like it. It was the all-time job I had always had, likewise being a parent. I can now say that there is no other job I'd rather have than this job on Jeopardy!. I joke that I would surrender my first child to host permanently! I retrieve my son and I have a close plenty bond that he will come up back to me!

The way I see it is that I am in service in this job; in service to the clues and the contestants. Even though there is and then much talk about me, I really feel like this is the task that is least about me. At 45 years quondam, later on acting from the historic period of eleven, information technology is fascinating that this dream job—ane that I've been given the opportunity to dip a toe into—is the job where I need to make it not about me. If I mess upwards, it becomes nearly me. I need to simply exist of service to the show.

Obviously I bring my personality to the stage, but for me this actually is an opportunity to ensure that the focus is not on me. As an actor that's hard; equally a recovering narcissist, that'southward hard! But I know that for Jeopardy! fans the prove is all-time when you're not thinking almost the host as much. To be part of such an iconic feel is completely astounding.

Mayim Bialik is hosting Jeopardy! from nine/20. The evidence arrogance weeknights, check local listings for further details. You can follow Mayim on Twitter @missmayim.

All views expressed in this article are the author's ain.

As told to Jenny Haward.