Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak Headshot

Game Show Host • Personality

Birth Date: October 26, 1946

Age: 77 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Children: Maggie Sajak

Pat Sajak, the widely recognized and beloved host of the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune," began his career in entertainment when he won a contest as a teenager to be a guest teen deejay on a radio show in 1965. Sajak then became a newscaster for a small local radio station while he was attending Columbia College in Chicago. He joined the army in 1968 after dropping out of college and was stationed in Vietnam, where he was a morning show host for Armed Forces Radio. Upon returning to the United States, Sajak began working as a desk clerk at a hotel in Washington, but left to join a small radio station in Murray, Ky. Unhappy with this position, he left after a year for Nashville, Tennessee, where he began working for WSM-TV in a variety of roles. In 1977, after gaining the attention of a talent scout, Sajak joined KNBC-TV in Los Angeles as a weather forecaster and the host of a weekend talk show. Producer Merv Griffin took notice of Sajak's charisma, and in 1981, asked him to host "Wheel of Fortune," then a daytime television game show that moved to its regular nighttime slot in 1983. Not content to rest on his laurels, Sajak has also made many guest appearances on other shows, including "Days of Our Lives" and "The Larry Sanders Show."

Credits

Wheel of Fortune

Host
Show
2024

Muppets Haunted MansionStream

Actor
Bust
Special
2021

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune from ABC

Actor
Show
2021

Celebrity Wheel of FortuneStream

Host
Game Show
2021

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Extras

Actor
Show
2020

American Valor: We Stand Together

Narrator
Show
2020

Uncommon Knowledge

Guest
Show
2019

Macy's 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade Special

Guest
Show
2016

Fresh Off the BoatStream

Guest Star
Himself
Series
2015
94%

The American Veterans Center Honors

Actor
Show
2014

Sullivan & SonStream

Guest Star
Series
2012

The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Guest
Show
2011

The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

Guest
Show
2011

The Bonnie Hunt Show

Guest
Talk
2008

Live With Regis and Kelly

Host
Show
2001

The King of QueensStream

Guest Star
Series
1998

The CommishStream

Guest Star
Dr. Brian Brandon
Series
1991

RugratsStream

Guest Voice
Pat Sajak
Series
1991

The Pat Sajak Show

Host
Talk
1989

Super PasswordStream

Guest
Game Show
1984

Gimme a Break!

Guest Star
Series
1981

Entertainment Tonight

Guest
News
1981

Password PlusStream

Guest
Game Show
1979

Wheel of FortuneStream

Host
Game Show
1975

News aboutPat Sajak

Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Viewers Blast Big Mistake & ‘Disappointing’ Prize

'Wheel of Fortune' Gift Guide

16 Gifts for the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fan in Your Life

wheel-of-fortune-tom-on-the-map

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Shocked By Player’s Solve With One Letter

Wheel puzzle
Exclusive

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Berto Borroto Spills Show Secrets After Stunning $100K Win

Puzzle on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Flunks Answer & Loses $40K (VIDEO)

wheel-of-fortune-final-puzzle-good-qualities

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Reacts to Contestant’s Agonizing $100K Loss

Wheel puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Loses 10K After Shocking Mistake – Fans React

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant ‘Steals’ Final Puzzle & Gets Huge Win

Maggie Sajak Instagram

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Maggie Sajak Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Show Secrets

Wheel puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Blast ‘Ridiculous’ Puzzle That Cost Contestant $40K

Wheel puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Call Out Pat Sajak Over ‘Unfair’ Ruling

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Blows ‘Easy’ $1 Million Chance – Fans React

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant ‘Cries’ After ‘Awful’ Puzzle Costs Her $40,000

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Think Show ‘Ripped Off Another Contestant’

Wheel of Fortune car prize

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Reveals How They Get Cars Onto the Set (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Married Couple ‘Misses the Point’ in Bonus Round Blunder (VIDEO)

Vanna White and Pat Sajak on Wheel

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Accuse Show of Making Puzzles Too Hard for Contestants

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Blast Show After ‘Bogus’ Puzzle Costs Couple Huge Win

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Reacts to Married Couple’s Epic Fail

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

Did ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Just Serve Up Its Most Impossible Puzzle Ever?

Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest & Vanna White Spotted Filming Season 42 in Hawaii

Pat Sajak and contestant on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: See Pat Sajak’s Mean Reaction as Contestant Loses Out on $100,000

Wheel puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Think Contestant Was ‘Robbed’ of $40,000 Prize

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Misses Huge Prize With Fatal Error – Pat Sajak Reacts (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host Pat Sajak Mocks Contestant Struggling with Easy Puzzle: ‘It’s Like Pulling Teeth’

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Slam Show for ‘Incorrect’ Rhyme Time Puzzle

Wheel of Fortune Major Blizzard puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React After Contestant Makes ‘Major’ Blunder (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune BMW prize

Why ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Are Suspicious About Show’s Big Car Giveaway

Wheel of Fortune doughtnuts puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React After Mom-of-Three Fails to Solve ‘Easy’ Puzzle

Wheel of Fortune Ashley McFarland

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Blows Chance to Win Big Prize – See How Pat Sajak Reacted

Maggie Sajak and Vanna White for 'Wheel of Fortune'

Is ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Dropping Hints Maggie Sajak Will Replace Vanna White?

'Wheel of Fortune' Same Letter puzzle from January 3, 2024 episode

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React to Mispronounced Puzzle Blunder

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Big After Incredible Puzzle Solve

Pat Sajak — 'Wheel of Fortune'

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestants’ 10 Shocking Puzzle Fails in 2023

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant Makes Massive Puzzle Blunder

Matt Rogers on Wheel of Fortune

‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Champ Matt Rogers Under Fire for Comments About Pat Sajak & Show (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React After Cancer Survivor Blows Chance of Big Win (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Is Stunned By Contestant’s Hilariously Wrong Answer

Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Reacts After Contestant Blows Big Chance & Goes Bankrupt

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Catches Ex-Cop ‘Lying’ About Letter Choice

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Gets Snarky as Contestants Miss ‘Easy’ Answer

Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White Reveals Why She’s Not Ready to Retire

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Mom & Daughter Miss Out on Huge Win – See Pat Sajak React (VIDEO)

Liz and KC on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Fall In Love With 92-Year-Old Contestant & Her Son (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune Matthew Rice

‘Wheel of Fortune’: See Pat Sajak React After Contestant’s Massive Puzzle Fail

Wheel of Fortune Veterans Week Pete

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Reacts as Military Vet Misses Out on $40,000

Ken Jennings hosts Jeopardy!

Why ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Thinks He’s More Like Pat Sajak Than Alex Trebek

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Big on ‘Impossible’ Puzzle – See Pat Sajak’s Reaction

Puzzle stumps Wheel of Fortune contestants

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Apologizes After ‘Terrible’ Puzzle Stumps Contestants

Vanna White and Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White on Pat Sajak’s Moods, Ryan Seacrest’s Texts & More

Pat Sajak — 'Wheel of Fortune'

‘Wheel of Fortune’: See Pat Sajak React to Contestant’s Retirement Tribute to Him (VIDEO)

'Wheel of Fortune'

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Reacts After Contestant Blows $1 Million Chance

Rashad Jennings — 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'

‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’: NFL Star Rashad Jennings Makes Epic Fail on Easy Puzzle

Pat Sajak and contestant on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Big After Sharing Emotional Story With Pat Sajak

Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa at Paley Center

Kelly Ripa Has ‘Concerns’ About Ryan Seacrest Hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Wheel of Fortune puzzle board

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Called Out After Accepting Incorrect Answer

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Stunned After Contestant Solves ‘Impossible’ Puzzle (VIDEO)

Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune

Vanna White Opens Up About ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Salary Negotiations

Vanna White and Pat Sajak in 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' Season 4 teaser

Vanna White Admits She Thought About Quitting ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Vanna White, Maggie Sajak, and Pat Sajak on 'Wheel of Fortune'

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White Touts Maggie Sajak to Replace Her on Show

Vanna White and Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Responds to ‘Teacher’s Week’ Punctuation Controversy

Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Makes Embarrassing Error Without Vanna White

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Blast ‘Worst Clue Ever’ as Contestant Misses Out on $40,000

Vanna White and Pat Sajak — 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'
Exclusive

Are ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Players ‘Normal’? Pat Sajak & Vanna White Debate (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

See Pat Sajak’s Reaction as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Solves ‘Impossible’ Puzzle (VIDEO)

Wheel of Fortune puzzle

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React After Contestant’s Epic Last Letter Fail