Neil Patrick Harris Appears On JEOPARDY! Celebrity Week, Begins May 3rd

Nine of America's smartest (and bravest) celebrities will face off in the "Jeopardy!" Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament. The tournament semi-finals and final competition airs the week of May 3.

Stage and screen star Neil Patrick Harris will appear on the May 5th episode of the tournament. In a new press photo, Harris is shown to be the underdog of the day. Hopefully, the popular star is able to rebound!

This year's celebrity champion will make "Jeopardy!" history by winning a guaranteed $1 million for charity. "Jeopardy!" Host Alex Trebek said, "with so many charities struggling for donations, the million dollar grand prize will make an incredible impact and benefit those most in need."

The first semifinal match, Monday, May 3, will include Pat Sajak (host of "Wheel of Fortune"), Jane Curtin ("3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Kate & Allie") and Harry Shearer ("The Simpsons," "This is Spinal Tap" and NPR's "Le Show").

Playing in the second semi-final, Tuesday, May 4, will be Michael McKean ("Laverne and Shirley" and star of Broadway's "Superior Donuts"), actor Charles Shaughnessy (AMC's "Mad Men" and "The Nanny") and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. Actor/comedian Andy Richter, who qualified for the semifinals in September, will not be competing since the tournament conflicts with his touring schedule with Conan O'Brien. Mizrahi, the highest non-winning quarterfinal scorer, replaces Richter.

On Wednesday, May 5, Neil Patrick Harris (CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" and the upcoming feature film "The Smurfs"), Jane Kaczmarek (TNT's "Raising the Bar") and Cheech Marin ("Cheech & Chong" and "Lost") will compete in the third semifinal round. The winners of each semifinal will move onto the two-day finals, which will air Thursday, May 6, and Friday, May 7. The player with the highest two-day total will be crowned America's smartest celebrity and win the $1 million grand prize for charity.

The celebrities and their charities:

Jane Curtin (U.S. Fund for UNICEF)
Neil Patrick Harris (Food on Foot)
Jane Kaczmarek (Clothes Off Our Back)
Cheech Marin (Hispanic Scholarship Fund)
Michael McKean (International Myeloma Foundation)
Isaac Mizrahi (Good Shepherd Services)
Pat Sajak (Vietnam Veterans of America)
Charles Shaughnessy (1736 Family Crisis Center)
Harry Shearer (Common Ground Relief)

Those eliminated during the semifinals will each receive $50,000 for charity. The second place finalist will receive $250,000 and the third place finalist will receive $100,000 for charity. All nine celebrities previously won $50,000 for charity during the quarterfinals.

Since its September kick-off, the tournament has hosted 27 former celebrity contestants who competed in a series of monthly quarterfinal matches. A total of over $2.5 million will have been donated to more than 25 local and national charities selected by the stars.

"Jeopardy!," the winner of 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers. "Jeopardy!" is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp.

 

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