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Rebel Wilson was a contestant in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but she didn’t come to play with her winnings. The Australian actress gambled $93,000 of her own money if she lost it during the quiz show. When Wilson was about to reach $250,000, a multiple-choice question left her scratching her head.
The 40-year-old comedian had four choices to answer with what element the first coins made by the US mint were created from. The answers were: A) Alexander Hamilton’s gold inkwell, B) Ben Franklin’s pewter beer steins, C) Martha Washington’s silverware, and D) Thomas Jefferson’s copper sink.
“Get it wrong; you’ll lose $93,000,” show host Jimmy Kimmel cautioned. “This is a heavy US question,” she said. “Unfortunately, because I didn’t go to school in America, I’m pretty sure I know who all the presidents were, but I don’t know the timeline.”
“For some reason, I’m thinking Martha Washington’s silverware, but it’s a complete guess,” Wilson said. “But maybe I’m gonna take the gamble, knowing that I could personally donate to the charity if I’m wrong.”
“You would make up the $93,000 yourself?” Jimmy asked. “I would; I’m that type of girl,” she revealed. “Which is very nice,” Jimmy replied. “Also, a little bit crazy.”
“It’s a little bit crazy,” the actress acknowledged. “But I’d hate to lose it for my own. I’m just gonna go with answer C. And final answer. Knowing my charity can’t lose either way.”
After a moment of suspense, Kimmel confirmed the correct answer, luckily, favoring the actress. “Don’t they say just go with ‘C’ if you don’t know?” Wilson asked.
“You know what, they do say that,” Jimmy replied. “And you know what? Miraculously, they’re right.”
“Wow! Well, however you got to it, you got to it! And you got $250,000!” Jimmy added.
Rebel Wilson winnings will go to the School of St. Jude in Arusha, Tanzania. Here the actress serves as an ambassador.
The charity-funded school was founded in 2002 to provide free primary and secondary education to “the poorest and brightest children” of the Arusha Region. Wilson sponsored one of the children and traveled to meet the student. According to the school, Rebel and Winnie “have been sharing letters, gifts, and photos for over eight years” and reveal that Wilson has tried to help her family escape poverty.
“I loved some of the kids who were particularly interested in singing and dancing; it was really cool to see that and encourage them to be creative; the students here are all very serious, and they love their studying, so it’s good to do a few creative things as well,” she said referring to her first visit to the educational institution.