RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Ben Affleck and "Jeopardy!" champion Jamie Ding won the elusive $1 million prize on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
On Wednesday night's episode of the hit game show, the "Gone Girl" star and Ding answered the 15th and final question correctly to take home the grand prize — which will go to Affleck's foundation, the Eastern Congo Initiative.
The episode began with the pair having only two questions left to answer.
The $500,000 question read, “What achievement occurred just two months after a New York Times article said it wouldn’t happen for ‘1 million to 10 million years’?”
The four answers listed were: the first airplane flight, splitting the atom, cloning a mammal and the polio vaccine.
Ding initially thought the answer was the first airplane flight and Affleck agreed.
“I only remember this because it was a time in my life where I spent time looking up examples that the press got things wrong. Yeah, just randomly,” the Oscar winner, 53, explained.
“And I sort of, vaguely, in my subconscious remember the Times and the Wright brothers and that whole thing was 1905, 3 or 4, or something," Affleck added with Ding correcting that it was "03."
Host Jimmy Kimmel quipped that Affleck was “so much smarter" than his close friend Matt Damon, who also won the $1 million prize on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" alongside "Jeopardy!!" star Ken Jennings last year.
Affleck and Ding then decided to use the 50:50 lifeline to eliminate two answers, leaving them to choose from splitting the atom and the first airplane.
They correctly chose the first airplane and advanced to the million-dollar question, which read, “In an annual Thanksgiving tradition, all but which of these have been the names of turkeys pardoned by a US president?"
The four answers listed were: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti & Meatball.
The "Good Will Hunting" actor said, “You must be kidding me,” and suggested they use their Phone-A-Friend lifeline.
When Ding's friend didn't answer in time, the pair took Kimmel's advice and chose Spaghetti and Meatball, winning $1 million.
After choosing the correct answer, Affleck and Ding held each other as they jumped up and down while confetti fell from the ceiling.
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" airs Wednesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
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