Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak makes huge career change at 78
It's been a year since Pat Sajak retired from hosting the game show Wheel of Fortune after 41 years.
Now, he's set to for a major career change as he goes back to acting.
Sajak will star in a play at the Hawaii Theater called Prescription: Murder with his long time friend KHON-TV Hawaii newscaster Joe Moore.
According to the theater's website, Sajak, 78, plays a psychiatrist named Dr. Roy Flemming, who has 'carried out an ingenious plan to murder his wife, and established a perfect alibi.'
Moore, 78, stars alongside him as Lt. Columbo, a disheveled and seemingly bumbling detective who's investigating the crime.
The show runs for a limited time from July 31 through Aug. 10, is directed by Rob Duval and also stars Bryce Moore, Therese Olival, Amy K. Sullivan and Aiko Chinen.
Sajak and Moore collectively said the new play will 'likely be our final time on stage together.'
The duo have appeared in several plays together over the years after first starring in The Odd Couple together in 2001.
Sajack and Moore met while they were both serving in the Vietnam war and in 2018, starred together in Dial M for Murder.
Gregory D. Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii Theatre Center has nothing but praise for Sajak's acting ability.
'It's really exciting as someone [who] has grown up with Wheel of Fortune,' he said via People. 'I used to sit and watch the show with my grandmother when we were children.
'To be able to engage with him and recognize that he is the authentic and kind person you see on the show — that's his true personality, and the way he interacts with people and his fellow actors and with the cast and crew,' Dunn explained.
'He is really a talented actor that brings an immense amount of craft to the stage.'
'Our audiences every year are delighted when they're able to enjoy his performances on stage,' he added'
'We couldn't be happier to welcome Pat back, and it really is something that we look forward to every couple of years.'
Prescription: Murder is the original Columbo mystery thriller that was the inspiration for the long-running Colombo TV series starring Peter Falk.
Sajak ended his run on Wheel of Fortune in June 2004, at the end of the show's 41st season.
In his final message, Sajak shared an emotional message to his longtime fans that aired on June 7, 2024.
'It's been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade,' he said.
'And I've always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.'
The Chicago native concluded by sharing, 'What an honor to have played even a small part in all that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.'
Wheel of Fortune's beloved letter-turner Vanna White, 68, recently opened up about her relationship with the show's former host.
While Sajak and White still host ABC's primetime version of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, she revealed him leaving the flagship show was a 'sad' time for her.
'It was sad for me in a way because [at the time] I didn't know what the future held. It was ending an unbelievable era!' she said at the Hulu Gets Real event (via TV Insider).
When asked if they stay in touch, Vanna said, 'I still see him! We're friends. We have dinner! Yeah, he's still in my life.'
She added that when they get back together, 'It's like slipping into something very comfortable. I mean that in the best possible way. It's just comfortable.'
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