'I'm realistic': Pat Sajak speaks candidly about his future beyond 'Wheel of Fortune'

HONOLULU (KHON) -- Pat Sajak has been the host of the "Wheel of Fortune" for 41 years.

KHON's Howard Dashefsky sat down with Sajak to talk about his impending retirement.

Here is what the People’s Choice and Emmy Award-winning game show host had to say:

Pat Sajak: "Yeah, it’s a celebratory mixed with melancholy. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’ve known that this was coming, and I talked about it with good friends and Joe and my family. So I’ve had time to get used to the idea. It’s not like I woke up the other day and said, 'You know, it’s over.' So there’s that. But it’s mixed emotions sure."

Sajak is in Honolulu to star in a play with his longtime pal Joe Moore, who is a KHON news anchor as well as an actor.

Dashefsky asked Sajak about any plans he may have after he retires or if he plans on simply walking into the sunset.

Pat Sajak: "I’m realistic enough to know the people aren’t gonna be banging my door down. But I’ll take projects if they come. But I suspect most of my time will be whittling on the front porch, but I don’t know how to whittle and I don’t have a front porch so that’ll be a challenge."

You can catch Pat Sajak at the Hawaii Theater starring in the comedy The Sunshine Boys, the story of two aging comedians who ended their act eight years earlier and now must overcome their differences for a movie comeback.

Also starring in this production are KHON's Moore and his son, Bryce, who is a news reporter at the station making his stage debut.