Following Mike Richards exit, Ryan Reynolds shows support for LeVar Burton's campaign to host 'Jeopardy!'
Aug 22, 2021
Washington [US], August 22 : Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds has thrown his support behind LeVar Burton's ongoing campaign to host 'Jeopardy!', following EP Mike Richards' exit from the podium.
According to Deadline, the actor, in an oblique fashion, on Friday posted a tweet, in which, he shared how he relates to Burton's experience, given the time he himself spent as an underdog, relentlessly pursuing his dream project 'Deadpool'.
"Pretty consistently from 2013 to 2015, Deadpool would explode on Twitter with fans wanting me to play him. It was awkward because I agreed with them. But the studio didn't see it. Ultimately, the fans won, and the rest is glorious history. I'm forever grateful. Hi @levarburton," he said.
Burton has been vying to host 'Jeopardy!' for years, most recently serving as one of a number of celebrity guest hosts, following the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek.
Richards was also among the guest hosts whose performance was assessed by Sony Pictures Television in their quest to find a new, permanent host.
While he entered talks to assume the mantle at the quiz show earlier this month, resulting difficulties saw him announce he would be stepping down from the role on August 20, after filming just one episode.
His downfall began with the surfacing of lawsuits from his time as an executive producer on 'The Price is Right', which alleged that he'd made insensitive comments toward, and otherwise discriminated against, models on the show.
The final nail in the proverbial coffin was a report that emerged in The Ringer, which resurfaced sexist or otherwise offensive remarks he'd made toward female co-hosts and guests on 'The Randumb Show', a podcast he hosted between 2013 and 2014.
Richards will continue to work on the series going forward in his role as executive producer.
Reynolds' comment on the 'Reading Rainbow' host's behalf comes as his Disney/20th Century Studios film 'Free Guy' continues to dominate the box office.
As per Deadline, others who have advocated for Burton to take over as host include actor and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown, writer and culture critic Roxane Gay, writer-director Eric Haywood, Blindspotting's Rafael Casal and 'SNL' alum Leslie Jones.
