Ryan Reynolds is recounting the last conversation he had with Alex Trebek weeks before the "Jeopardy!" host died. During an interview with Extra, the "Deadpool" star admitted he knew Trebek was sick but his passing was still "heartbreaking." After their final conversation, Reynolds said he started to view the world differently.
"It forces you to look around a little bit and see the people and the faces that are in our lives every day and really remember not to taking them for granted," he said. "I was talking to Alex on the phone two months ago, and that was amazing then just, like, that he was gone."
Reynolds said he and Trebek connected to discuss an upcoming "Jeopardy!" appearance.
"I had been on the show a number of times, he was asking me about perhaps coming on again," the 44-year-old actor explained. "I was shooting in Atlanta and was unable to do it. … When you speak with people like that, that you grew up watching, and suddenly you are talking to them on the phone, you start to reflect."
Following their conversation, Reynolds began to realize how precious life is.
"You just never know; tomorrow is not a given," he continued. "Hug them tight, the people in your life. It was really shocking and sad. Obviously, he was sick and it wasn’t totally, wildly unexpected. It’s still heartbreaking nonetheless. It’s absolutely gut-wrenching."
Trebek died on Nov. 8 at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. "Jeopardy!" has no plans to name a new host anytime soon but it has not stopped fans from speculating who his replacement will be. Several names have been tossed around and petitions have been launched campaigning for various celebrities to fill Trebek's shoes. Among them is a call for "Star Trek" star LeVar Burton to take over hosting responsibilities.
"LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds," a Change.org petition that has garnered over 91,005 as of Tuesday morning reads. "This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producers Mike Richards and Harry Friedman just how much love the public has for Burton, and how much we'd all love to see him as the next host of Jeopardy!"
Other potential candidates tapped by CBS News include Ken Jennings, who is regarded as the greatest "Jeopardy!" player of all time, "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak, as well as CNN legal analyst Laura Coates.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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