Canadian-born twins make Jeopardy! history

Ray Lalonde of Thunder Bay, Ont. triumphed on the game show 'Jeopardy!' As John Vennavally-Rao reports, it's now his twin brother Ron's time to shine.

Two brothers originally from Thunder Bay, Ont., have buzzed their way into game show history, becoming the first identical twins to both win more than one match on Jeopardy!

It all started with Ray Lalonde, who now lives in Toronto and is a scenic artist for the film and television industry. Almost three years ago, he went on a 13-game winning streak that earned him a whopping US$386,000.

His twin brother Ron, a medical physicist who lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., won three games in episodes that aired last week, an impressive run that ended Monday night.

“We’re pretty identical,” said Ron. “In fact, we have the same goatee and the same style of dressing, as well.”

The pair are so alike, it tripped up host Ken Jennings.

“He called me Ray a few times on the air,” Ron said. “So, a little annoying. But it was fun.”

A competitive upbringing

The brothers, who have five other siblings, say their trivia prowess was forged in a home where watching Jeopardy! was a nightly ritual in the ‘70s.

“We grew up in a very smart, very competitive family, we watched Jeopardy! as children with our older siblings, and that was a family thing,” said Ray.

“My mother was a huge fan,” said Ron.

Ron says he and his brother have a good ability to remember things they’ve come across. Ray figures he applied to be on the show about 15 times before he was successful, dating back to about 30 years ago when you had to write in. He encouraged Ron to try as well, and Ron said he got very serious about it after watching his brother’s winning streak.

“Certainly, it seemed like a great experience for him … I was pretty happy for him,” said Ron. “Having the same kind of mind, I figured I’d do pretty well as well.” Ron learned he had been selected for the show while on a family vacation in Newfoundland this past August.

Sibling rivalry and support

During one episode, which was shot in Los Angeles, the camera cut to a shot of Ray in the audience. It was after Jennings joked that Ray could really be Ron and lying about having a twin so he could compete again.

As for the pressure on Ron to win night after night, Ray thinks his brother may have had it a bit tougher.

“He’s probably getting judged more harshly because he’s my brother,” Ray acknowledged. “Even to get down there and play a good game is a very tough thing to do ... then to win, and then to win again. It’s so hard.”

Ron himself admitted that aiming for a 13-game streak would be an “intimidating goal,” noting that “it’s not a common thing to be able to do that.”

Ray’s 13-game streak is tied for the 14th-longest streak in Jeopardy! history.