Tuesday, late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek’s daughter Nicky paid homage to the legendary stand-up comedian Mort Sahl, who just died at the age of 94.
Nicky Trebek took to her Instagram page to post her tribute to the longtime comedian. She shared a blurry black and white photo of Sahl grinning at the camera, looking both relaxed and mischievous. Apparently, Nicky spent a fair amount of time with the late comedian.
“#mortsaul #legend #oneandonly so many cool #childhoodmemories with this funny talented kind man🙏🏼 #blessyoursoul and give Mort Jr. a hug for me ⭐️😢🤍💫#revolutionary,” the late “Jeopardy!” host’s daughter captioned the post.
The reference to Mort Jr. refers to Sahl’s 19-year-old son, who died of a drug overdose in 1996.
Sahl was born in Montreal, Canada, on May 11, 1927. According to Variety, he died at his home in Mill Valley, California. His friend, Lucy Mercer, confirmed his death with The New York Times and claimed he died “peacefully” of “old age.”
Sahl earned a reputation at comedy clubs for his biting political wit and commentary on social changes. Per Variety, he eventually earned the nickname, “Rebel Without a Pause.” One of his initial stand-up comedy performances from 1955, called “Mort Sahl at Sunset,” became the first-ever stand-up comedy albums, as documented by the Library of Congress.
“The three great geniuses of the period were Nichols and May, Jonathan Winters and Mort Sahl,” director and comedian Woody Allen told New York magazine in 2008.
In a separate interview, Allen said, “He was the best thing I ever saw. [Mort] totally restructured comedy. He changed the rhythm of the jokes.”
Late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek’s daughter Nicky never explained how she knew Sahl. But she could have easily seen one of his shows or run into him around the Sony studio lot in Los Angeles.
Late ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek’s Wife Talks How They Were ‘Equal’ Partners in Marriage
Jean Trebek, the widow of late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, spoke to The Eden Magazine earlier this month. During her interview, she brought up her marriage to Alex and what really made it work so well.
“In looking back, the fact that I did not identify Alex as an ‘icon’ was a gift,” Jean said. “We were equal partners in a marriage, and we had our own personal growth issues to deal with just like any ordinary couple.”
She added, “It would have been really weird for both Alex and myself if I thought of him as some celebrity. He could just be himself at home, and that was it.”
The one-year anniversary of the late “Jeopardy!” host’s death is just a few weeks away. The world will surely mourn the legend again in honor of his passing.
