From trivia nights to crossword puzzles, D.C. consultant Patrick Curran brought home a win for the District on ‘Jeopardy!’ last week.
Growing up, Curran said ‘Jeopardy!’ had been a family staple, bringing everyone together.
“We’ve always loved the game show,” he said. “It’s been a part of my life for a very long time.”
He said he’s always loved learning and anything competitive, which led to many trivia nights in the District and big dreams of a big win.
“I like bar trivia,” Curran said, pointing out his daily dive into crossword puzzles. He’s been taking the online ‘Jeopardy!’ test since college and was finally selected after taking the test last spring. He got the call to be on the show during the summer.
“As far as the ambition to get on there goes, it’s been a lifelong thing,” he said.
Once he made it, the experience was surreal.
“It was hard to believe that I was actually standing on the stage. It was a great time.”
Topping off an already amazing experience was his big win. On Thursday night’s airing, all those ‘Jeopardy!’ reruns, flash card sessions and trivia nights paid off.
Curran’s final answer to a question about Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “The Godfather,” brought his earnings to $30,000, winning him the game. He went on to win again Friday night.
“I’m just glad that the preparation paid off, and I was lucky enough to find some of the right squares and get some of the right categories to pull off the win,” he said.
Curran’s advice for aspiring ‘Jeopardy!’ winners out there: watch every episode; check out the Jeopardy test online and read a lot.
“Anybody can do it, and I really appreciate that about Jeopardy.”
You can catch Patrick Curran on ‘Jeopardy!’ Monday night, defending his two-time crown.
