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United States Louis Virtel is a television writer, comedian, and podcast host widely recognized for his viral appearance on "Jeopardy!" and his contributions to late-night television.
Louis Virtel's appearance on the game show led to a viral moment involving his reaction to a correct answer, significantly increasing his public recognition.
Virtel works as a writer for the late-night talk show, occasionally appearing on-screen in segments like 'Virtel It Like It Is'.
Virtel co-hosts the podcast 'Keep It!' under the Crooked Media network, discussing pop culture topics.
Due to his association with Jimmy Kimmel, Virtel has contributed as a writer to various awards telecasts hosted by Kimmel, including the Emmys and Academy Awards.
Virtel serves as a writer for this Jeopardy! spinoff, for which he received a Writers Guild of America Award.
Virtel hosted the web series 'The Snap' for the entertainment website and wrote essays for the publication.
Louis Virtel was born on August 4, 1986, and grew up in Lemont, Illinois. He graduated from Lemont High School in 2004 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism and theater from the University of Iowa in 2008. During his college years, Virtel secured an internship at “The Advocate.” Following graduation in 2009, he moved to Los Angeles, California, embarking on a career that involved writing for publications such as “Hollywood Life” and “Movieline.” His early career also included hosting web series like “Weeklings!” for Logo and “Verbal Vogueing” on his personal YouTube channel, in addition to performing comedy. In 2012, Virtel became the West Coast entertainment editor for the pop culture website “AfterElton,” which later rebranded as “The Backlot.”
Virtel’s career gained significant public attention in 2015 following his appearance on “Jeopardy!” While he did not win the game, a video of him emphatically snapping after correctly answering a Daily Double clue went viral, leading to his image being widely shared as GIFs. This moment cemented his public persona and contributed to his growing visibility as a gay man in media. Prior to this, he had already showcased his trivia skills, winning $38,000 on the Game Show Network program “The Chase” in 2014. He has expressed a wish that he had explicitly disclosed his sexual orientation during his “Jeopardy!” appearance to offer visible representation for LGBTQ+ adolescents.
Following his viral “Jeopardy!” moment, Virtel continued to expand his writing and media presence. He notably became a writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and has contributed to awards broadcasts hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, including the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and the 95th and 96th Academy Awards. For his work, he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. Since 2018, Virtel has co-hosted the Crooked Media podcast “Keep It!” alongside Ira Madison III. In 2024, he served as a writer for the “Jeopardy!” spinoff “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” which earned him a Writers Guild of America Award for Quiz and Audience Participation show. He also contributed as a writer to the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards. His work extends to writing for publications such as “Time,” “Billboard,” and “Vulture.”
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