Actor From ‘Community’ Set to Compete on Show

What is… I’ve seen him before? An upcoming Jeopardy! contestant, who marketed himself as a substitute teacher, has a secret past as an actor. Erik Charles Nielsen is an actor who was on the NBC comedy Community, among other roles.

On the Jeopardy! website, Nielsen shared that he is from Hollywood, California, and is a substitute teacher. He will play on Thursday, September 25, against Vickie Talvola, a quantitative trader from Jersey City, New Jersey, and the previous day’s champion.

Nielsen, 44, shared the news on his Instagram on September 22. “So my next TV appearance is… a little different. I’m fulfilling a lifelong dream by appearing on Jeopardy! this Thursday. Check it out!” he wrote. “(Fun fact: my shirt is the same one I wore when I did Conan in 2013. I thought it might bring me luck or something.)” The shirt in question is a baby blue button-down long-sleeve shirt with a black sweater vest over it.

The actor is best known for playing the recurring role of Garrett Lambert on Community from 2009 to 2015. Nielsen also starred in the horror comedy film Bad Milo, the pilot episode of Maron, and the web series Erik the Librarian, as well as the comedy shows Just For Laughs, Conan, and Funny As Hell.

Fans recognized Nielsen right away after looking at the website. “Garrett from the TV show Community (Erik Charles Nielsen) will be a contestant on this Thursday’s (9/25) episode,” the Reddit poster said. “I was looking to see if any of this week’s contestants were from my Zoom mock game session (none were) and, upon seeing Erik, was immediately reminded of one of the most memorable recurring characters from my favorite sitcom. Sure enough, it’s the same guy.”

“I’m really excited to see him – and thought it was cool that he’s teaching now, in addition to his standup work. Retroactive good luck to him, Vickie, and whoever the third player turns out to be!” a fan said.

“You’re kidding! Love this. He was such a sweetheart at the Community fan conventions we used to have,” wrote another.

“Wow! I know you’ll do well. Hope you get all the categories you’re best prepared for. Godspeed,” an Instagram user said.

Nielsen is not the first actor to compete on the syndicated version of the game show and not the celebrity version. Nick Cascone competed on Jeopardy! in November 2023 and advertised himself as an orthopedic physician assistant, but he has a past in acting.

The contestant earned himself a spot in the Tournament of Champions that season after triumphing in the first-ever Champions Wildcard competition.

Nicholas Cascone appeared on Matlock, Highway to Heaven, My Sister Sam, Moonlighting, Star Trek: The Next Generation, L.A. Law, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Marshal, ER, and The West Wing, but did not mention his acting career on Jeopardy!. He also appeared in several movies, including Titanic and Nightwatch. Other celebrities have also played the regular version throughout the years, including Greg Proops, John McCain, and more.