Hollywood star Ben Affleck has won the $1 million grand prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, matching the achievement of his longtime friend and Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon from a year earlier.
Affleck appeared alongside Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding on Wednesday’s episode. The pair answered every question correctly to secure the top prize for charity.
The hardest moment came at the final $1 million question. Host Jimmy Kimmel asked Affleck and Ding to identify which pair of Thanksgiving turkeys a United States (US) president had not pardoned. The four options included Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti & Meatball.
Affleck and Ding used two lifelines on the question. Kimmel admitted he felt uncertain but leaned toward Spaghetti & Meatball. The team then used their Phone-a-Friend lifeline to call Ding’s trivia partner, Stephen Morrison, who declined to make a guess.
Affleck chose to trust the host’s instinct. “I would bet on Jimmy,” Affleck said before locking in the answer.
Kimmel stated he had “such a stomach ache” while waiting for the official verification. The system confirmed Spaghetti & Meatball as the correct response. Confetti rained down on the stage as Affleck and Ding embraced to celebrate the victory.
The $1 million prize goes to the Eastern Congo Initiative. Affleck co-founded the non-profit organization with entrepreneur Whitney Williams in 2009. The initiative partners with community-led groups in eastern Congo and works to increase international awareness and support for the region.
The win replicates Matt Damon’s result from the previous year. Damon won the same $1 million prize on the celebrity version of the quiz show, making the two Oscar-winning friends consecutive million-dollar winners on the program.
Earlier in the week, Affleck confirmed that his late mother Chris Affleck was an ardent campaigner for Palestinian rights, calling the effort “the central cause of her life”.
Chris Affleck died on June 2 at the age of 83. The family announced the news on July 24. An international media outlet reported that doctors diagnosed her with pancreatic cancer in December and gave her six months to live. The official death certificate states that Chris Affleck died from cardiopulmonary arrest while visiting the residence of her son.
