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Software Engineer To Represent Westchester On 'Jeopardy!'

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Question: Which Greenburgh resident is set to appear on an episode of "Jeopardy!" next week? Answer: Who is Irving Murray.

Greenburgh resident Irving Murray said host Alex Trebek "in real life is exactly how he seems on television. He's very relaxed and easygoing."

Greenburgh resident Irving Murray said host Alex Trebek "in real life is exactly how he seems on television. He's very relaxed and easygoing."

Photo Credit: Contributed

Murray, a lifelong fan of "Jeopardy!" dating back to its original daytime run in the late 1960s, got the chance to live his dream and was chosen out of thousands of applicants to appear on the show, which will air next week.

It was a long road to the famous blue podium for the 55-year-old software engineer, who has applied to the show before by taking the online qualifying test multiple times. In May, he, along with 2,799 other brainy hopefuls, were shipped to Boston for face-to-face interviews.

One month later, Murray got the call that he had been chosen to appear on the show, which tapes in Culver City, California. The call came so quickly that Murray said he had to push back the start date at a new job he had recently accepted.

“I’ve always liked the show, and kind of wondered what it would be like to get on and actually be there on stage,” he said. “It really was (living the dream).”

In an effort to prepare himself for the grueling game show, Murray took the approach that “less is more.” He said he reached out to a mutual friend who appeared on the show a few months earlier, and read some of the books from former contestants that were champions.

Murray tapped into his decades-long experiences watching the show to give him a leg up on the competition.

“I tried not to go crazy,” he said. “All I did was try to brush up on areas I thought they might cover on the show. Things like categories I’ve seen multiple times in the past. I also did a bunch of general information quizzes online as a refresher.”

Although Murray taped his episode of "Jeopardy!" in July, he has had to remain mum on the results and categories he faced until it airs, due to confidentiality agreements.

“A bunch of people have asked about the results, but I signed all sorts of papers so I really can’t,” he said. “The only people who know anything are my partner and brother that went to the taping. Now I just have to trust them to keep it quiet!”

The episode of "Jeopardy!" starring Hartsdale’s Irving Murray will air at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24 on WABC.

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