“One of the first things he said to me was, ‘Most people are intimidated of me.
I don’t know why.
I don’t want you to be intimidated of me,'” Richards tells EW.
Carol Kaelson
“That was his way of saying, ‘We all understand I’m a legend.
We all understand that nobody really wants to tell a legend what to do.’
I remember him saying, ‘This is a challenge for all humanity.’
He was obviously very ill at that point, but that was where his concern was.”
He also continued working right up to the end.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your first meeting with Alex like when you joined the show?
MIKE RICHARDS:It was kind of amazing.
I started laughing, and I said, “Is the great Alex Trebek actually quizzing me?”
And that was him.
He was always inquisitive, always asking questions, and he loved smart people.
He loved everyone, but he really admired smart people.
How did your relationship progress from there?
We had a great working relationship.
I loved to make him laugh.
I loved when I caught something and he didn’t on a clue.
He loved when he caught something and I didn’t on a clue.
What are you doing to make that happen?"
And that wasn’t just one call; that was every week.
He was forceful about it.
I’ll be there."
We have a long way to go before you’re gonna be back in the studio taping."
He got very firm, which I loved, and he goes, “I’ll be there.
Don’t you cancel anything.”
And sure as heck, he was.
He was a warrior.
He loved great games.
I hope you did too.
We’ll see you next time," that was not manufactured.
That was him jazzed.
I think that energized him.
It was like, “That’s why I’m here.
That’s why I’m putting myself through this.”
What were those last couple days of taping with Alex like?
He came in at a higher level than normal, and his normal was excellent.
And we didn’t know he was gonna do that; he just walked out and did it.
You’ll watch them and you’ll go, “This guy’s as healthy as could be.
This is not a sick person at all.”
He had that much willpower.
And we knew how much he was fighting, and that’s what made the performance even more impressive.
And he did not like to be complimented.
But I had to say it, because it was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen.
And he was exhausted, obviously, and he looks up and he goes, “Thank you.”
He knew what he had done and appreciated the fact that we all knew what he had done.
So those last two days are very special, and I’ll never forget them.
We looked at where that final week was going to air, and the week of Christmas is crazy.
People are all over the place.
They’ve got a lot of family obligations, and a lot of distractions.
And the NBA is back, so that could lead to preemptions.
And I feel that his fans would want to be able to have the same opportunity.
How did you choosethe episodes to fill the two weeksin between?
And you’re able to tell in the clips how excited he is.
He’s great in them, because I think he’s energized to deliver the clues.
Whether it’s from Niagara Falls or playing ice hockey, he loved each one for a different reason.
Did you ever talk with Alex about who his successor would be?
He wanted to be very careful to not weigh in on that.
He always said that the stars ofJeopardy!were the contestants and the game, not the host.
We spent time talking about that, but he was very reticent to put out names.
What can you tell us aboutthe upcoming interim guest hoststhat will appear on the show?
So I felt very comfortable that Ken would be able to come in.
[He’s] not going, “Look, I’m the new host!”
That’s the plan.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
