‘Jeopardy!’ Viewers Think This Contestant Is the Spitting Image of Steve Martin

Sam Buttrey on Jeopardy and Steve Martin
Jeopardy!/Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Fans could have mistaken Wednesday’s Jeopardy! for a celebrity edition, given that one of the contestants was the spitting image of Steve Martin.

Sam Buttrey, an associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, bore a striking resemblance to the iconic stand-up comedian and actor. And it wasn’t just the silver hair and pleasant smile; viewers even thought Buttrey sounded like Martin.

“Not gonna lie Sam in tonight’s #Jeopardy looks and sound just like Steve Martin…” tweeted one fan. Meanwhile, another viewer commented that “Sam Buttrey could pass off as Steve Martin’s double.”

In a freaky coincidence, one of the categories in the opening round was King Tut, a character that Martin famously played on Saturday Night Live.

“So not only is Steve Martin on #jeopardy, but King Tut is a category,” observed one fan, while another jokingly said, “It doesn’t seem fair that @SteveMartinToGo is on #Jeopardy and there’s a King Tut category.”

However, it wasn’t just Buttrey receiving the celebrity comparisons, as some viewers thought that Hofstra University professor Lisa Dresner looked like American Horror Story star Kathy Bates.

“Everyone’s saying that Sam looks like Steve Martin, but what about Lisa looking like Kathy Bates!?” asked one Twitter user. And they weren’t the only one thinking along those lines. “Sam is Steve Martin and Lisa is Kathy Bates,” said another viewer.

Celebrity doppelgangers aside, it was Buttrey that came out on top in Wednesday’s episode, winning the game and advancing to the semi-finals of the Professors Tournament. The tournament, which runs through next week, sees the winner walk away with a cash prize of $100,000.

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