What Amy Schneider Really Thinks of James Holzhauer's 'Villain Persona'
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Competing on Jeopardy! was a lifelong dream for champion and new author Amy Schneider. But she wasn’t expecting to win 40 consecutive games (a record bested only by Ken Jennings) and $1.3 million.
"My dream was to be on the show. I did not dream of the level of success that I had, because that’s an unreasonable dream to have, it’s kind of crazy,” she told Parade in a recent interview to discuss her new memoir, In The Form Of A Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life, out now.
Below, Schneider shares her thoughts on becoming a trailblazer for transgender and queer people, competing against James Holzhauer and why she hopes to get back to the buzzer.
Is being a public figure since your Jeopardy! win a good thing, a bad thing or both?
Primarily a good thing for me. I know some of the other Jeopardy! champions I’ve talked to who have gotten some of that [attention] haven’t all been as comfortable with it as I am. My inner diva loves the attention. It’s not like it’s entirely free from downsides. It’s something that you can’t pause on days that you’re not feeling it. [But] for the most part, I’ve really enjoyed it and felt very lucky.
You write in your book about drug use, among other things, and what you’ve called some of the “messiness” in your life. Why was it important to you to write about the so-called messiness?
One of the things about becoming a public figure in my specific circumstances was that I knew for a lot of people in the Jeopardy! audience, I was the first trans person that they had really seen and gotten to know. I became very conscious of the fact that part of why it was so easy for me to be accepted as that first trans person was just that I was doing Jeopardy!, which is just the most normal, inoffensive thing, and that I was really putting my best, most accessible self forward. It started to make me a little uncomfortable.
While it was great that people were accepting me, were they then going to turn around, look at other trans people—who they found out had a history of drug experimentation or things like that—and be like, “Oh, well, I like that nice Amy. Why can’t you just be like that nice Amy?” I just wanted to show that nice Amy, while it was really me…there’s more to me than that. I shouldn’t be written off because of that and neither should anyone else.
Related: 'Jeopardy!' Champ James Holzhauer Criticizes Show After New Changes Are Announced
What's it like to compete against James Holzhauer in Jeopardy! Masters?
It’s frightening. That was something I was very apprehensive about, going into it. He’s just incredible in every aspect of the game—knowing how to bet, having a ton of knowledge and being just impossible to beat on the buzzer. The other thing I knew about him was that in his original run, I found him kind of off-putting. Definitely, he plays with a villain persona.
I kind of wondered what that was going to be like. But actually, spending that week together in the competition I found out that really, it’s all an act and he’s a very sweet guy and not at all like the heel that he plays.
Do you see more Jeopardy! in your future?
Yes, I do. I know that the Jeopardy! Masters thing, they want to keep that going as an annual thing and maybe expand it somewhat. The assumption is that next spring they’ll be doing something like that again and I would imagine I’d be invited. I do see it in my future. I don’t see it as my long-term career, but I still got some more in me. Watching the finals of the Jeopardy! Masters, I felt so frustrated with how I played. I didn’t enjoy it. Then as soon as I watched them do like five clues [after that], I was like, “I want to be on that stage so bad.” I definitely hope to play some more Jeopardy!.
What does being a trailblazer for transgender and queer people mean to you?
It’s incredibly rewarding. As somebody who came out in the Bay Area in 2017, I’ve had an exceptionally easy path as far as trans people’s paths go. Not that there weren’t hardships to it, but relatively speaking, it’s been kind of straightforward. There’s a part of me that always felt a little bit of guilt about that. Not like it was my fault, but just knowing trans people that I know back home in Ohio, thinking about the trans people I know from even just in the Bay Area that had come out 10, 20 years ago and how much harder it was for them.
But then this came along and all of a sudden, I realized that without even intending to, I had helped out those people across the country and I’d done something positive for my community, in a community that really needs whatever help they can get.
What was the goal in writing this book?
One was the one I already talked about, about complicating my image and showing that trans people are full human beings. The other one was encouraging a love of learning. I think the third one, honestly, was to prove to myself that I could write a book and that this goal I’ve set for myself of becoming a writer, of writing multiple books, of doing well enough to make that sustainable is not out of the question.
I see a ton of problems with the book every time I look at it because that’s just how I am. Fundamentally, I’m happy with it, and it just gave me confidence that I have things to say and that I can put out work that I’m proud of and complete a big project, which has not always been my strength.
Related: Find Out Who's Competing in 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' Season 2
So, how did you get so smart—one of the themes in your book? Can you boil it down for me?
I’ve gotten so smart because I find it fun to be smart and I’ve just been pursuing it my whole life and just browsing through Wikipedia and reading, reading, reading, and I’ve just enjoyed taking in information. I also got lucky with a good memory. That part I can’t take so much credit for. I was just born with it.
Are you watching Jeopardy! or other game shows on a regular basis?
Not really. Ever since I was on it, I watch occasionally, but not as regularly as I used to. I didn’t realize how much my regular watching before was kind of partly just preparing for my eventual appearance someday. Without that motivation, I don’t get around to it as often. There’s still a bunch on my DVR, it’s still in rotation.
What’s your best advice for somebody of whatever age who’s been sitting here for years and wants to go on Jeopardy! How should they prepare or not prepare?
In terms of preparation, the best way to prepare is to study Jeopardy! itself, both watching it, which most people who want to be in the show probably watch it regularly, and studying through jarchive.com, which has all the history of the questions and answers.
Jeopardy! isn’t just about knowing stuff in general. They don’t get too deep into any particular topic. You have to figure out what they’re looking for first, then figure out what the question is and then figure out the answer. And getting used to the specific ways that they write clues when it’s a matter of you’ve got five seconds to figure it out. That’s kind of the main thing.
A lot of people just don’t try out because they feel like they’re not ready for whatever reason. Just go ahead and try it out. It doesn’t take much time. And if you have tried out and you haven’t made it on, keep doing it. It took me 15 years of trying out to actually get on the show.
