Ken Jennings on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ Win With Matt Damon

Ken Jennings and Matt Damon have joined the ranks of the all-time greatest winners on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Season 4, Episode 2 aired on July 30 on ABC, and the duo managed to secure a $1 million prize for Water.org, a charity supported by Damon to promote global access to safe water.

The final question that led them to victory was a challenging one: “Which of these words is used to describe one of the most beautiful auditory effects on Earth, the sound made by the leaves of trees when wind blows through them?” The correct answer turned out to be “susurrus,” a word that Jennings had a hunch about and confirmed after using the “50/50” lifeline.

Reflecting on his previous appearance on the show, Jennings shared, “It’s not my first time on ‘Millionaire’ and my first time I did not win. I think I left around 100k, so this was very exciting. I’ve never actually seen the confetti drop.” He also jokingly credited Damon for their success, saying, “I think what we’ve learned is that Matt Damon is worth 900,000 extra dollars when I play ‘Millionaire.’”

The idea of pairing Jennings with Damon came from host Jimmy Kimmel, who met Jennings at a cancer research fundraiser and proposed the collaboration. Despite never having met before, Jennings and Damon hit it off backstage before the taping. Jennings praised Damon for his intelligence and versatility as an actor in various roles.

Promos for this season of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” played into Kimmel’s ongoing faux feud with Damon, with Kimmel teasing the star about his appearance and career choices. Kimmel also made a humorous remark about sneaking onto “Jeopardy” and playing with someone Jennings dislikes.

Kimmel came through with a crucial lifeline during the game, providing the correct answer for a $500,000 question about Bill Nye’s first claim to fame. Jennings admitted that this question was the toughest for him and Damon, but Kimmel’s knowledge saved the day.

Jennings and Damon managed to cruise through the questions leading up to the $1 million prize, with Jennings noting that they were fortunate to get a set of questions that played to their strengths. They even had a fun moment where they imitated the iconic call to a friend before answering the final question.

With their win, Jennings and Damon joined a select group of celebrities who have conquered “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The new season of the show promises more exciting pairings and challenging questions, with upcoming episodes featuring various celebrity duos.

Overall, the Season 4, Episode 2 of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” was filled with suspense, humor, and camaraderie, making it a must-watch for fans of the show. The dynamic between the contestants, host, and celebrity guests added an extra layer of entertainment to the game show format.