Contestants Becoming Celebrity Players

[Matt Ottinger]

In November 1976, one of the contestants was Brianne Leary.  She became a regular on Chips in 1978 and later that year returned to Match Game as a celebrity.

Is this the first time a player went from appearing as a contestant and then return as a celebrity on the same game show during its run?  What other examples, even later ones, can anyone think of?

[Jimmy Owen]

Ken Jennings?  Seriously, there have been a number of Pyramid people that became celebs, Constance McCashin, Mel Harris come to mind but they may not count because they were on different versions of the show.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 10:07 AM\']In November 1976, one of the contestants was Brianne Leary.  She became a regular on Chips in 1978 and later that year returned to Match Game as a celebrity.

Is this the first time a player went from appearing as a contestant and then return as a celebrity on the same game show during its run?  What other examples, even later ones, can anyone think of?

[snapback]80747[/snapback]

[/quote]

Pyramid had a few examples: David Graf, Joel Brooks, COnstance Mccashin, Richard Kline, Bonnie Urseth, and Mel Harris among them. Although they appeared as a celebrity on a different Pyramid incarnation than they were originally a contestant on.

Lynn Deerfield was on Match Game in the 60s run and appeared in 1976 or 1977 as a celeb on MG7x.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 10:19 AM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 10:07 AM\']In November 1976, one of the contestants was Brianne Leary.  She became a regular on Chips in 1978 and later that year returned to Match Game as a celebrity.

Is this the first time a player went from appearing as a contestant and then return as a celebrity on the same game show during its run?  What other examples, even later ones, can anyone think of?

[snapback]80747[/snapback]

[/quote]

Pyramid had a few examples: David Graf, Joel Brooks, COnstance Mccashin, Richard Kline, Bonnie Urseth, and Mel Harris among them. Although they appeared as a celebrity on a different Pyramid incarnation than they were originally a contestant on.

[snapback]80749[/snapback]

[/quote]

Add to the "Pyramid" list Caren Kaye and Lynnie Greene.  And then say "who?"

[TwoInchQuad]

McLean Stevenson was a civilian contestant on the CBS daytime version of "Password", and later did a week of "Password Plus".  That's the earliest one that I can think of.

-Kevin

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 10:59 AM\']Add to the "Pyramid" list Caren Kaye and Lynnie Greene.  And then say "who?"

[snapback]80754[/snapback]

[/quote]
Ah, yes. Caren was on The Betty White Show, It's Your Move starring Jason Bateman and other series. She bared her breasts in the motion picture My Tutor. She did not do so on Match Game.
Lynnie Greene co-starred with Bess Armstrong on the mid-1970s CBS sitcom On Our Own.

[mmb5]

Debra Jo Rupp on $20K (civilian) and Osmond Pyramid.  She mentioned on one of her Osmond appearances that all she won was a rug shampooer, which did her no good since she didn't have any carpeting at the time.


--Mike

[Mike Tennant]

O.J. Simpson appeared on Marshall HS when he was a college student, then later returned as a celebrity.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Mike Tennant\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 01:01 PM\']O.J. Simpson appeared on Marshall HS when he was a college student, then later returned as a celebrity.

[snapback]80768[/snapback]

[/quote]
As did Naomi Judd--albeit on different versions. Contestant with Peter; celeb with Tom.

[jmangin]

As a reverse, one of the few (only?) instances of a game show host later becoming a contestant, Larry Toffler of Finders Keepers "fame" was a contestant on both Greed and Russian Roulette.

[HairMetalLives]

I'm not sure if this guy qualifies or not, really, but Douglas Emerson was on the "Fun House" pilot with his sister before he was a celebrity guest (for "90210") on the FOX version.

[whewfan]

This would barely qualify, but Jim Hanks, the brother of Tom Hanks, was on Combs FF. He's done a few movies, but has yet to reach the success of his brother.

Naomi Judd (under her real name Diane Semonella(sp?) was also a contestant on Password in the 70s... no idea if she also appeared as a celeb.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 05:11 PM\']

Naomi Judd (under her real name Diane Semonella(sp?) was also a contestant on Password in the 70s... no idea if she also appeared as a celeb.

[snapback]80795[/snapback]

[/quote]

Naomi never did any Password versions as a celeb.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' date=\'Apr 6 2005, 11:59 AM\']Debra Jo Rupp on $20K (civilian) and Osmond Pyramid.  She mentioned on one of her Osmond appearances that all she won was a rug shampooer, which did her no good since she didn't have any carpeting at the time.


--Mike

[snapback]80762[/snapback]

[/quote]

Kathy Najimy was a contestant on CBS $25K and a celeb on Osmond Pyramid.

Neil Flynn from Scrubs tried out for Pyramid in the 80s but did not get on then, but was a celeb on the Osmond Pyramid. Neil was on a few game shows as a contestant in the 80s, including Scrabble and $otC IIRC.

[Winkfan]

And going way back, Eammon Andrews was a 'subject' on To Tell the Truth in 1957, and then returned as a frequent guest panelist over the next few years.

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Judy Norton-Taylor of the Big Board!'