A “Jeopardy!” contestant had fans seeing double as they pointed out his strong resemblance to a beloved character from the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”
On April 18, undergraduate student Liam Starnes from Barrington, Illinois, made his debut on the long-running game show when he faced off against fellow contestants Rachel Gray and one-day champion Steven Hoying.
During the episode, viewers flocked to social media where they called Starnes a look-alike of genius physicist Sheldon Cooper, the character played by Jim Parsons throughout “The Big Bang Theory’s” 12-year run.
“Seriously, that’s Sheldon!!!!!!!” a fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Liam looks like a real life Sheldon Cooper,” another social media user commented.
“Big time Sheldon Cooper vibes from Liam,” one fan wrote, while another chimed in, “Liam looks like Sheldon Cooper’s little brother.”
“Liam on #Jeopardy looks like he could be Jim Parsons’ much younger brother,” another viewer agreed.
With $19,600, Starnes was in the lead heading into Final Jeopardy! He emerged triumphant over Gray and Hoying after correctly guessing the answer and wagering $12,801, which brought his total to $32,401.
“I never doubted teenage Sheldon for a minute! Congrats Liam,” a fan wrote following Starnes’ win.
After claiming the title of one-day champion from Hoying, Starnes returned for Monday night’s episode of “Jeopardy!” and viewers once again noted his likeness to Sheldon.
“SHELDON IS LEGIT ON #JEOPARDY RIGHT NOW… LOL,” a fan commented on X.
“Ok I can’t be the only one that thinks Liam is the real life Sheldon,” a second fan wrote as another added, “Rooting for Liam tonight on #Jeopardy He’s giving Sheldon vibes!”
“Is it me or is Liam Sheldon’s doppelgänger?” a X user wrote alongside a GIF of Sheldon.
The University of Chicago student became a two-day champion after he won Final Jeopardy, ending the episode with a haul of $52,802.
He is set to compete on Tuesday night’s episode of “Jeopardy,” where he will square off against two new contestants.
“The Big Bang Theory” ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019.
Along with Parsons, the sitcom’s main cast included Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Sara Gilbert, Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch, Kevin Sussman and Laura Spencer.
The show was a ratings juggernaut and won 10 Emmy Awards. Parsons’ performance as Sheldon earned the actor four Emmys and one Golden Globe Award.
A spin-off prequel series titled “Young Sheldon” ran for seven seasons from 2017 to 2024.
The show starred Iain Armitage in the titular role and followed Sheldon’s early years growing up as a child prodigy in East Texas.
“The Big Bang Theory” already had a connection to “Jeopardy!” prior to Starnes’ appearance.
Bialik, who played Sheldon’s love interest and later wife, Amy Farrah Fowler, co-hosted “Jeopardy!” from August 2021 to December 2023, alternating with the show’s current host, Ken Jennings.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
