‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Go Wild for Celebrity Lookalike Contestant

David Erb on Jeopardy!
Jeopardy, Inc!

Jeopardy! fans have a new celebrity lookalike favorite. The show’s current champion David Erb bears a striking resemblance to an iconic actor.

Erb, a puzzle designer from Seattle, Washington, appeared for the first on Monday’s (September 23) episode, where he faced off against Dana Schwartz, a writer from Los Angeles, California, and two-day champion Jen Feldman, a high school teacher from Brooklyn, New York.

Viewers quickly gravitated toward Erb, with many pointing out that he’s the spitting image of actor and director Clint Eastwood.

“Is it just me or does David on #Jeopardy remind anyone else of a young Clint Eastwood??” wrote one fan on X.

“Clint Eastwood’s doppelgänger CLEANED UP on Jeopardy tonight,” said another.

“David looks like several different people. Clint Eastwood is one of them,” added one viewer on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum.

Clint Eastwood

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

“Yes! I was thinking about Clint Eastwood the whole game because of him lol. He got the signature squint and everything,” another replied.

“My wife also made the Clint Eastwood observation,” another added.

“If Sam Buttrey is the Steve Martin of @Jeopardy, tonight’s contestant David Erb is it’s Clint Eastwood,” said another, referring to fan-fave Sam Buttrey and his resemblance to comedian Steve Martin.

Another quipped, “No one told me Clint Eastwood was going to be on Jeopardy! tonight.”

“In an alternate timeline, David kept his astrophysics hobby alive while on location in the desert as Clint Eastwood’s stunt double,” said another.

It wasn’t just his Clint Eastwood looks that won fans over, as Erb also proved to be an impressive quizzer. Following the first round, Erb led the way with $5,000 and then nailed both Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, allowing him to cruise to a runaway. He finished the round with a season-high of $30,000.

Unfortunately, Erb and his fellow contestants couldn’t crack the Final Jeopardy clue, which ended up being a triple stumper. The tricky clue read: “Among those who attended his 1864 funeral were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott & Franklin Pierce.”

The correct answer was, “Who is Nathaniel Hawthorne?”

Erb wagered a huge $12,345, only to answer incorrectly with “Who is He Adams?” Luckily, his opponents also answered incorrectly, meaning Erb won the episode with $17,655.

With his intimidating Clint Eastwood looks and background as a puzzle designer, many fans think Erb could be tough to beat. “Once they said David is a puzzle designer and ex-Physicist, I knew he was winning easily,” wrote one fan.

“Right? That’s like the description you’d give to a character in skit who’s supposed to be comically good at Jeopardy. Just need to add in that they’re also a professor of history and literature,” another responded.

Erb will return to the Alex Trebek stage on Tuesday night (September 24), where he’ll be looking to walk away with another fistful of dollars.

Did you think Erb looks like Eastwood? What did you think of his performance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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  1. O

    OliveHelmet

    What REALLY impressed me was that his wife is the author of one of the best books I've read in the last decade, "Lessons in Chemistry." I can't imagine Bonnie Garmus marrying someone who isn't brilliant.

    8

    1. B

      BlueSailboat

      I can't believe that's not The headline. I was so impressed by that!

  2. G

    GreenBulb

    I was getting a little Billy Bob Thorton vibe from his picture.

    5

  3. O

    OliveCone

    I thought he looked like the painter Van Gogh

    5

  4. P

    PurpleBlowdryer

    Nope. I don't see Clint Eastwood at all.

    I thought closer to Kevin Costner if anyone at all.

    4

  5. G

    GoldPuzzle

    Yes, I told my hubs he looks like Clint Eastwood last evening. I was surprised to see others thought the same!

    4

  6. R

    RedTurtle

    Joel Grey, great Broadway actor.

    2

  7. O

    OrangeBike

    Absolutely! I thought that before reading the article.

    2

  8. C

    CyanPin

    Slight resemblance on some angles but definitely not a "lookalike". Same with Sam Buttrey and Steve Martin. Yeah, I can see why some people make the comparison, but to me it's like pareidolia - seeing shapes in clouds.

    1

  9. P

    PurpleFlame

    I immediately said he looked like Clint. Then as the game progressed I liked his low key manner. He seems to be a very intelligent man on a variety of topics. I'm cheering for him.

    1

  10. O

    OliveBoomerang

    I see Christopher Plummer

    1

  11. R

    RedTurtle

    A bit of Sam Eliott, too. The voice and eye-twinkle

    1

  12. G

    GoldTeepee

    I thought he was more a morph or mashup of Clint Eastwood and Ron Howard.

    1

  13. G

    GreenCoffee

    Bob Weir. Grateful Dead

  14. P

    PurpleCorn

    I told my wife when he first came on, "that guy looks just like Clint Eastwood at a certain age". Not only looked like him, but also sounded like him.

  15. C

    CyanScissors

    Totally Eastwood, from day one

  16. C

    CyanTree

    What a waste of my time reading this!

  17. P

    PurpleHammer

    Resemblance yes, spitting image...NO

  18. B

    BlueHelmet

    Thought John Steinbeck the whole time! He is so handsome!

  19. P

    PurpleDucky

    He looks like Clint Eastwood and Vincent VanGogh had a kid!

  20. G

    GreenCarrot

    Looks and sounds just like Clint!

  21. O

    OrangeCandy

    Christopher Plummer!

  22. G

    GreenPretzel

    Mentioned to the husband last night that he looked like Clint Eastwood!

  23. P

    PurpleCorn

    Check the dna - hello daddy!

  24. B

    BlueFan

    Not really...

  25. J

    Jessica Love

    Yes. Immediately

  26. G

    GreenBone

    No resemblance whatsoever.

    1 1

  27. G

    GoldWheel

    Definitely Eastwood I think I went to school with him in Covington va

  28. B

    BlueUmbrella

    Thought that immediately when I saw him. He even has that low whisper voice. 😊

  29. G

    GoldRing

    That is a joke right, couldn't hold a candle to Clint.

    1 2