Jeopardy! Whiz Liam Starnes Channels Big Bang Theory Vibes
So I’m not saying they’re twins, but Jeopardy! ace Liam Starnes and Howard Wolowitz could practically share a dressing room. Fresh off a five‑game win streak on the venerable quiz show, geography buff Starnes, 27, clocked in over $100,000 in prize money—and somehow stole headlines again as the spitting image of The Big Bang Theory’s resident engineer. Fans first noticed the uncanny resemblance on Twitter (via @QuizMemesDaily) and TikTok (hashtags racked up thousands of views), and suddenly every post about Starnes was captioned “Howard, is that you?” According to People Magazine, observers were quick to call out the matching bowl-cut, slim‑fit turtlenecks, and that earnest, slightly dorky charm.
Let’s unpack this without trying too hard. Starnes’s winning run began on March 5, when he breezed past a Final Jeopardy! category on world capitals. He kept up the streak through March 9, becoming one of the few champs to bag over $100K in a single week and snagging nods from host Ken Jennings. But it was his off‑beat style that stole the micro‑moment: mid‑tournament selfies reveal a retro ’60s‑meets‑nerd chic that fans swear mirrors actor Simon Helberg’s iconic look. Entertainment Tonight caught up with Starnes backstage, and he cracked, “I get it, I really do love my turtlenecks—but I swear I’m not moonlighting as a Hollywood prop.”
Hard evidence of this pairing shows up in side‑by‑side screenshots circulated by TheWrap, and a Google Trends spike confirms everyone’s googling “Liam Starnes Big Bang lookalike.” Reddit threads in r/jeopardy and r/bigbangtheory exploded with GIF compilations, and even Howard’s portrayer, Simon Helberg, got wind of it—according to a cheeky Instagram Story shared by ET. While Starnes remains focused on conquering trivia, the friendly resemblance tour has already spawned custom fan art, a parody YouTube channel, and maybe the world’s nerdiest meme coin.
Beyond the mirrors and memes, there’s a smart takeaway: in pop culture, a well‑timed likeness can turn a quiz champion into a viral sensation overnight. Fans and media outlets from People Magazine to ET are running with it, but you can bet there’ll be more algorithmic love ahead—plus a possible late‑night TV mention. Whether Starnes leans fully into his newfound “Howard” persona or ditches the bowl‑cut for a fresh look, this mash‑up of intellect and sitcom nostalgia is too juicy to ignore.
Anyway, that’s the skinny. Do with it what you will—and if your next trivia champ shows up in a red parka, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight
Attribution: Romolo Tavani (Creative Commons)
