Harvey Silikovitz fulfilled a longtime dream last year when he made it on “Jeopardy!”
After 10 attempts over 24 years, Silikovitz, who describes himself as an “attorney and worldwide karaoke singer,” walked away from the Alex Trebek Stage with a dominant win.
But fans had even more praise for his resilience.
His victory came just a few years after receiving a life-altering diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s been a longtime dream of mine to get here. But I continued chasing the dream, and now here I am,” he told host Ken Jennings during his “Jeopardy!” debut last March. “After living with Parkinson’s for five and a half years, it’s no longer about just wanting to do well for myself. I would like to give hope and inspiration to the people who are living with chronic illnesses.”
Silikovitz lost his second game. But now, the fan-favorite player is back on the quiz show, competing in the 2026 Champions Wildcard tournament.
On Wednesday night, he competes in the tournament’s semifinals, potentially getting one step closer to claiming a spot in the upcoming Tournament of Champions.
Harvey Silikovitz in ‘Jeopardy!’ Champions Wildcard semifinals
Silikovitz will compete against fellow “Jeopardy!” champs Stella Trout and Ian Morrison during Wednesday’s semifinal game, according to the “Jeopardy!” website.
It marks his second match in the tournament. Last week, after trailing by a large amount during his quarterfinal game, Silikovitz had an impressive streak of correct responses and went into the Final Jeopardy round with a slight $200 lead, as the Deseret News reported.
He ended up winning the game and securing his spot in the semifinals.
If he wins Wednesday’s game, he’ll compete in the two-day finals airing Thursday and Friday. Winning the finals will give him an automatic bid in the prestigious Tournament of Champions, per the “Jeopardy!” website.
How Harvey Silikovitz ended up on ‘Jeopardy!’
Silikovitz’s quest to land on “Jeopardy!” dates back to 2001, as the Deseret News previously reported.
He actually missed a call from a “Jeopardy!” producer in 2019. When he called back after roughly five weeks, Season 35 had wrapped. By the time Season 36 would begin filming, his window of eligibility to compete on “Jeopardy!” would be up. So he started all over again.
A few months after missing that “Jeopardy!” call, Silikovitz received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. But he was determined to keep trying out for the show.
“I worked hard to manage my Parkinson’s symptoms — even while relentlessly seeking to improve my knowledge base as well as my proficiency at the skills, such as timing on the buzzer, that are crucial to success on J!” he wrote in an Instagram post about his “Jeopardy!” debut.
He finally made it on “Jeopardy!” for Season 42, defeating a player on an eight-game winning streak in his debut.