The death of Alex Trebek caught the world by surprise on Sunday, as news of the beloved Jeopardy! host succumbing to his battle with pancreatic cancer arrived on the heels of Joe Biden winning the 2020 presidential election. It was an emotional time for fans of the classic TV quiz show and Trebek’s comforting presence that anchored each episode of Jeopardy! for over 30 years. As tributes poured in, fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds issued a heartfelt note of thanks to the late host, who graciously took the time to appear in Free Guy even while undergoing cancer treatment. Via Twitter:
“Alex Trebek was kind enough to film a cameo for our film Free Guy last year despite his battle. He was gracious and funny. In addition to being curious, stalwart, generous, reassuring and of course, Canadian. We love you, Alex. And always will.”
Alex Trebek was kind enough to film a cameo for our film Free Guy last year despite his battle. He was gracious and funny. In addition to being curious, stalwart, generous, reassuring and of course, Canadian. We love you, Alex. And always will.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 8, 2020
A brief preview of Trebek’s cameo can be seen in the second trailer for Free Guy, which racked up an impressive amount of views shortly after its release. In the short clip, Trebek is hosting an episode of Jeopardy!, which includes a question about Reynolds’ character, who is in the middle of dramatically altering the game world he lives in after falling in love with Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer.
You can watch the second Free Guy trailer below:
While Trebek’s death was a shock as he seemed to be doing well with his experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer, the host can still be seen on Jeopardy! for a little while longer per his final wishes. On Monday night, producer Mike Richards aired an emotional cold open where he honored Trebek and revealed that the late host had filmed episodes as recently as two weeks ago. “We will air his final 35 episodes as they were shot. That’s what he wanted,” Richards announced.
(Via Ryan Reynolds on Twitter)