‘Jeopardy!’ fans left stunned when contestants can’t identify award-winning actor
“Jeopardy!” fans were left screaming at their screens during a recent episode of the game show.
On Monday’s episode, Ryan Sharpe and Kelsi Tyler faced off against previous winner Paolo Pasco. And they all failed to identify James Earl Jones in a category about clues related to “Sesame Street.”
Halfway through, the show’s host, Ken Jennings, introduced Oscar the Grouch.
“Throughout the years, lots of people have stopped by ‘Sesame Street’ like Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings,” the Muppet explained from his trash can. “Why can’t they leave a grouch alone? But, the very first was this guy, who recited the alphabet for us.”
A black and white photo of a young Jones, who died in 2024 at age 93, appeared on screen.
Ken Jennings hosting “Jeopardy!” Jeopardy!/YouTube
James Earl Jones. Getty Images
The image was from when the late actor guest-starred on the children’s show.
However, none of the contestants answered in time and the buzzer went off.
“That’s James Earl Jones,” Jennings, 51, said.
When the clip was shared on the “Jeopardy!” Instagram account, viewers rushed to the comments section to chime in.
James Earl Jones guest stars on “Sesame Street.” Getty Images
“So excuse me, you know Rocco the Rock but you don’t know James Earl Jones? I weep,” one follower exclaimed, while a second added, “Literally how did not a single one of them not know THEE James Earl Jones!?”
“Nobody knew James Earl Jones, straight to jail,” rounded out a third person.
“The way I screamed JAMES EARL JONES to my phone multiple times,” an enraged viewer shared.
Jones had a decadeslong career, getting his start as Dr. Jerry Turner on the soap opera “As the World Turns” in 1956.
James Earl Jones accepts the Life Achievement award during the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Getty Images
He held the role until 2010.
Jones went on to star as Dr. Jim Frazier in “Guiding Light” for 268 episodes starting in 1996.
The television vet also appeared in “The Sandlot,” “Coming to America” and “Field of Dreams.”
Jones also famously voiced Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and voiced Mufasa in Disney’s “The Lion King” in 1994.
James Earl Jones celebrates his 80th birthday by blowing the candles out on his cake at the Golden Theatre on Jan. 17, 2011. Getty Images
This isn’t the first time “Jeopardy!” fans have been up in arms in recent months.
In June, the audience was left divided after a contestant’s winning response was shockingly tied to her famous ancestor.
While on the long-running ABC show at the time, contestant Emily Croke answered a question correctly and became the champion.
A clip from a July 2025 “Jeopardy!” episode. abc / Jeopardy!
However, she was given a clue by Jennings that referenced her ancestor.
The prompt read: “In 1895, the Vassar-educated wife of this man wrote, ‘Thousands of dollars may be paid for a copy of Shakespeare.’”
Croke wrote down the correct answer, “Folger,” prompting Jennings to ask her about her decision.
She then revealed that the woman referred to in the clue had been her “great, great, great-aunt Emily.”
Visibly stunned, Jennings asked, “Emily Folger, the one we mentioned in the clue is the person you, Emily Croke, are named after?”
A clip from “Celebrity Jeopardy!” Jeopardy! / Youtube
A shot from the Aug. 29, 2023 episode of the game show. YouTube/@jeopardy
“Yes,” Croke admitted, to which the host stated, “Wow.”
Croke ended her run with a total of $13,201.
On Instagram, Croke’s stroke of luck was called “the most amazing coincidence in the history of ‘Jeopardy!’” by one commenter.
“What are the odds of that happening?” a second social media user inquired.
“How is anyone not a family member supposed to deduce the correct reply? What am I missing?” wrote one confused fan.
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