Regular viewers of “Jeopardy!” might remember when contestant Ray Lalonde went on a winning streak that racked up nearly $400,000 in prize money over 14 games in December 2022.

Lalonde has returned to the show a few more times since then, but on Wednesday, Dec. 3, it will actually be his identical twin brother, Ron Lalonde, of Harmony, standing buzzer in hand at the podium.

While he couldn’t talk about the result of his episode yet, Ron Lalonde remarked that his appearance on the show felt to him like a release of buildup coming years after his brother’s winning streak.

“My brother won 13 games and $400,000 when he was there, so there was a lot of pressure,” he said. “It was really strange because I didn’t feel that nervous in my mind but behind the podium my legs were really shaking.”

The experience was different for the other twin, who traveled to Culver City, Calif., to watch Ron Lalonde compete and saw the people he met during his run, but this time, outside of the spotlight.

“Everyone recognized me down there and I saw all the people and knew all the producers and directors and stuff. I could get relaxed,” Ray Lalonde said. “I’m always playing, but this time, ‘Don't say anything out loud.’”

Ron Lalonde said it took time finally land a spot in front of the camera, after applying to be on the show for at least three years. Ray Lalonde said he had been applying for nearly 20 years before finally getting on.

People interested in being on “Jeopardy!” first have to take a 50-question test, which covers topics similar to what is encountered on the actual show. People who do well on the test may be asked to schedule a virtual interview, where applicants play a mock version of the show to see how well they’ll do in a live environment.

The ones who do well in the virtual session are put into a pool of potential candidates for the show, Ron Lalonde said. For him, it was about three months before he found himself traveling to California to shoot an episode.

Once arriving to the studio in mid-October, Ron Lalonde said the rest of the day’s events were kind of a blur.

“It’s quite interesting because they tape it in almost real time,” Ron Lalonde said. “It takes a half hour to tape the half hour show. The process is very efficient. They tape about 10 shows a day.

“It’s the fastest 30 minutes you’ll ever have.”

Prior to even stepping up to the stage, Ron Lalonde got prepped by the show’s producers and got to do a practice round of the game. He said many contestants mill about the set throughout the day and meeting them was one of the best parts of the experience.

“Part of the fun is just sitting in the green room with all these interesting people,” he said. “It’s nice to just sit there and chat. It’s kind of sad when people get eliminated and have to go home.”

Another memorable moment from the trip was meeting the show’s host.

“He’s a bit of a legend in this field. He came out during our practice session in street clothes,” Ron Lalonde said. “After the cameras turn off, Ken comes over and gives a postgame chat, so that was nice.”

Although it took decades for either of the Lalonde twins to get on “Jeopardy!,” they each said they have basically been preparing since they were children. Growing up in Ontario, Canada, the brothers would watch the show with their whole family, even during the days of the show’s original host, Art Fleming.

“My mom was a big fan of the show … We watched it with the whole family after dinner basically,” Ray Lalonde said. “A bunch of siblings were watching, shouting out answers and competing to be the best at the game.”

Because of their family tradition, Ray Lalonde said getting on “Jeopardy!” was always on his bucket list. However, he said he is not much of a regular trivia competitor himself. His preparation for the show was mainly just watching it regularly and drawing on knowledge he has gained over the years. Additionally, once he knew he was going to be on the show, he started hitting the books.

“Between getting ready, studying, the time passes fast,” Ray Lalonde said. “You know when you get there you have strengths and weaknesses. I don’t have the experience of going to American stores, but math, literature and art I like. I’m not much of a sports guy.”

Conversely, Ron Lalonde goes to trivia in Pittsburgh and is excited to host a watch party with his team.

“At our usual pub I have arranged for them to have a watch party,” he said. “It will be a surprise when the game comes on.”

Ron Lalonde said he partially thinks he got on the show because he is the identical twin of a superchampion. However, he said he thinks his own brainpower helped him get on the show, as well as his knowledge of “’Jeopardy!,’ books, movies, American history.”

“I’m certainly a nerd,” Ron Lalonde said. “I’ve always read a lot and always been fond of trivia.”

While Ron Lalonde can’t talk about his time on the show before his episode airs, his brother talked about the recording process and the game itself.

Ray Lalonde explained that while the application test hints at what type of questions will be asked, contestants have to take it upon themselves to prepare as best as they can to be on the show.

“People have the misconception that there is a study guide. Anything and everything can come up,” Ray Lalonde said. “Sometimes it's going to be a good board for you and sometimes not.”

Aside from the game, Ray Lalonde also said it was fun meeting the other contestants, who included people from all backgrounds, careers and walks of life. He still keeps in touch with many of the people he met while shooting “Jeopardy!”

“It’s a room full of very cool people,” Ray Lalonde said of the contestants he met while shooting the show. “We have a WhatsApp group with the people I was down there with.”

Ray Lalonde added that he found himself staying in Culver City for several days because of his winning streak.

While Ron Lalonde could not reveal how he did on the game, he said he was excited just to get the chance to compete and is equally hyped for people to tune into his appearance.

“It’s been a longtime ambition of getting on the show,” Ron Lalonde said. “Definitely excited for people to watch.”