Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck took home the top prize on ABC's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire this week, banking $1 million for his Eastern Congo Initiative, and a well-timed assist from host Jimmy Kimmel sealed the deal.
Affleck, 53, appeared as a celebrity contestant on Wednesday's episode alongside Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding. The pair navigated the game's final question together, used two lifelines, and ultimately locked in the correct answer, Spaghetti & Meatball, to claim the show's million-dollar prize. Every cent goes to Affleck's charity, the Eastern Congo Initiative, a nonprofit he co-founded in 2010 with Whitney Williams.
The win makes Affleck the second Hollywood heavyweight in back-to-back seasons to walk away with the show's grand prize. His longtime friend and collaborator Matt Damon won $1 million on the program the prior year, paired with Ken Jennings, and donated his winnings to Water.org, his clean-water nonprofit.
The million-dollar question centered on the presidential Thanksgiving turkey pardon tradition. Contestants faced four answer choices: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti & Meatball. Affleck and Ding first burned their Phone-A-Friend lifeline, calling Ding's longtime trivia partner Stephen Morrison, a Harvard-educated father whom Ding introduced with a joke comparing their bond to Affleck and Damon's. Morrison couldn't land on the right answer.
That left the Ask-The-Host lifeline. Affleck turned to Kimmel without hesitation.
The Daily Mail reported that Affleck praised Kimmel's range of knowledge before asking for help:
"Actually, you're very good with cooking and food, current events, too. Actually, you might know this."
Kimmel, who doubles as a late-night talk show host, offered his reasoning with characteristic bluntness. He pointed to answer D, Spaghetti & Meatball, and explained his logic on the air:
"I could see me adding a big bowl in Donald Trump's hands and him slurping up the spaghetti and meatballs."
He followed up by ruling out another option: "That one sounds like it wasn't the one to me." Then he added, with visible nerves, "If I'm wrong, I'm so sorry."
He wasn't wrong. Affleck and Ding locked in Spaghetti & Meatball, won the million, and embraced on stage.
Kimmel told Variety earlier this month that Affleck had signed on for the appearance without realizing he'd be teamed with a proven game-show competitor. Kimmel said Affleck "seemed surprised and delighted" when he learned about Ding's Jeopardy! credentials.
"I think he was prepared to do it on his own. He's very smart, that Ben Affleck."
Ding, for his part, leaned into the moment. When introducing Morrison on the phone, he drew a parallel to one of Hollywood's most famous friendships:
"Jimmy, you might like this friend of mine. I mean, Harvard-educated, father, we're two years apart. But we've been through a lot of trials and tribulations together. Just like Ben and Matt."
Kimmel fired back with a deadpan: "Are you looking for trouble?"
Affleck co-founded the Eastern Congo Initiative in 2010 with Whitney Williams. The nonprofit's stated mission is to "support locally led organizations to expand access to essential services, strengthen economic opportunities, and promote justice" in eastern Congo. Its website describes work "designed to create scalable, sustainable impact across eastern Congo."
The win comes during a difficult stretch for Affleck personally. His mother, Chris Anne, recently passed away at 83 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Damon's million went to clean water. Affleck's goes to Congo. Say what you will about Hollywood, but a game show that puts real money behind real charity, instead of another awards-show lecture, is a model worth repeating.
