The category is, “Latine Jeopardy Host.”
The most popular quiz game show in history finds itself in need of a new host, again. This comes after newly named host Mike Richards stepped down. As the show’s executive producer, he had a hand in selecting the guest hosts that were to captain the Jeopardy! ship while a long-term host was searched for after the loss of beloved host Alex Trebek.
So far, those hosts included actor LeVar Burton, NFL Analyst Joe Buck, anchor Robin Roberts, and actress Mayim Bialik. Bialik was recently announced as the temporary host while the search continues for a permanent solution. She was previously announced to only host the primetime Jeopardy! specials.
Many names have been talked about as of late. Some are serious contenders, while others are fodder for the internet. Case and point, actor Ryan Reynolds took to social media addressing fans wanting his popular Deadpool character to host the show.
And just recently, according to Vulture, hopeful Ken Jennings is out of the running due to some highly insensitive tweets that resurfaced. This also comes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned an op-ed for where he “suggests the problem may not be just a bad branch, but a rotten root.”
While the host podium for Jeopardy! remains vacant, and the choice of the host becomes more complicated, we wanted to suggest some Latine talent that would absolutely rock it as the host of the world-renowned show!
1
Cristela Alonzo
Alonzo is one of our top picks for a reason. The standup comedian is currently on the road touring, and just announced a movie she wrote with Mario Lopez titled Holiday in Santa Fe. Cristela released her memoir, Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up, and also has a podcast called To Be Continued. She is also the new host of the reboot of the game show Legends of the Hidden Temple premiering in October. Jeopardy! would be another thing she could conquer.
2
Benjamin Bratt
Bratt is one of the most diverse actors in Hollywood. First, he can wear a cowboy hat as he does for DMZ (currently filming) just as easily as he can a detective’s badge for one of the longest procedural crime shows on network television, Law and Order. He could absolutely wear the Jeopardy! host hat next.
3
Colman Domingo
Domingo has been rising to fame in recent years, though he has been a part of the entertainment community since the late 90’s. The film and television actor also has seen major success on stage winning the Tony for The Scottsboro Boys in 2011. Candyman, Zola, Fear of the Walking Dead are proof that he has the flexibility to fit many roles, including Jeopardy!.
4
Edward James Olmos
The Oscar-nominated actor is one of the most distinguished celebrities on the list. Olmos has over five decades of credits on his acting resume. He is an Emmy (Miami Vice) and Golden Globe winner (Miami Vice and The Burning Season). Most recently he has been seen on Mayans M.C. We would absolutely tune in for a chance at seeing him take on Jeopardy!.
5
Natasha S. Alford
Alford, a tv political analyst for CNN among other things, would absolutely rock the role of Jeopardy! host. The award-winning journalist has been driven by the power of storytelling. So much so that she is now a VP of Digital Content and a Senior Correspondent at theGrio. She is also behind the Pulitzer Center-sponsored documentary “Afro-Latin Revolution: Puerto Rico” and is producing a documentary for Entertainment Studios about the Black Panthers.