(Update: Wes Hazard is now a three-time Jeopardy! champion.)
What does 鈥淛eopardy!鈥� host Alex Trebek鈥檚 cologne smell like? Wes Hazard 鈥�06 knows, but he鈥檚 not telling.
The comedian, storyteller, writer, and self-described 鈥渢rivia nerd鈥� got a whiff back in March when he taped his appearance with Trebek on the venerable game show. On Monday, July 9, the show will air nationwide (locally on CBS鈥檚 WBZ-TV). Until then, Hazard can鈥檛 reveal how he did.
Wes Hazard
The Boston native graduated from Boston College with degrees in film studies and political science and then worked for 51茶馆 Libraries until 2014. During the same period, he rose through the ranks of Boston鈥檚 stand-up comedy scene and branched out into other performances, including taking deep dives into the arts and popular culture and hosting 鈥淪tories from the Stage鈥� on PBS television.
In 2016, Hazard published his first book,聽Questions For Terrible People聽(Adams Media). The following year, he won a New England Emmy for his work on the web documentary "The Secret Worlds of Boston Comic Con" for WBZ-TV.
The聽Boston Globe Magazine聽called him one of 鈥渇ive Boston comedians to watch.鈥� He鈥檚 been described as both 鈥渓anky鈥� and perspicacious.
Hazard blogged earlier this year that it took nearly a year from the time he took the 鈥淛eopardy!鈥� application test to the taping of the show.
鈥淚 took the online test in March of 2017, found out I was invited for a live audition in October, auditioned in November, and got the call in January,鈥� Hazard said. 鈥淭he amount of study prep, game-tape watching, mental conditioning, and focus behind this represents probably the single greatest investment of time/energy/emotion I've ever put into anything.鈥�
He described the experience as surreal, and his trip to Los Angeles in March as 鈥渢he pinnacle of my trivia nerd dreams.鈥�
He has admitted his obsession with trivia for the past two decades stems from finishing second in a middle school geography bee, something he vowed he would never let happen again.
As with so many of his passions, Hazard will be taking his 鈥淛eopardy!鈥� experience to the stage in a 70-90 minute set he鈥檚 currently developing.
No one really knows what happens to 鈥淛eopardy!鈥� contestants who reveal the results of their performance prior to broadcast. Hazard is unwilling to find out through personal experience. So far, he鈥檚 managed to keep that to himself, as well as exactly what fragrance the dapper Trebek favors.
鈥淚 could tell you what Alex's cologne smells like, but that's a secret I've decided to take to my grave,鈥� he wrote to friends this spring. 鈥淛ust know that it's elegant and dignified, as you'd expect.鈥�
Ed Hayward | University Communications | July 2018