Jimmy Kimmel may be off for the summer from his late-night TV show, but that doesn't mean the comedian is completely off the air. He recently returned to host the celebrity edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire on ABC. With an all-star cast scheduled for this season, Kimmel had a lot to say about the stars playing for the million-dollar prize.
Kimmel won an Emmy last year for his work as host of the game show. By his own admission, it's an easy gig compared to running a late-night show. That, plus the lineup of celebrity guests, makes it a no-brainer for him to be back for another season.
The first episode premiered back on July 22. Oscar-winner Ben Affleck paired up with Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding. Larry David and daughter Cazzie David also got their chance to play. More stars are on the way as ABC broadcasts new episodes every Wednesday night.
In a conversation with Variety, Kimmel previewed the rest of the contestants. Several late-night TV stars are among those looking to win big for charity.
Saturday Night Live starsf and "Weekend Update" anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che will pair up together. Kimmel admitted he didn't know the comedy duo prior to Millionaire, but got a pretty good sense of their dynamic after watching them play.
I learned that Michael is very decisive, and Colin is not, and in a battle of between the decisive and indecisive, the indecisive always wins," Kimmel said. "Colin was really weighing things out."
Former Saturday Night Live cast members Will Forte and Taran Killam also play together. While their time did not overlap at SNL, Forte and Killam had a comedic chemistry that impressed Kimmel.
Kimmel also praised the intelligence of Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel, as well as the dynamic between teammates Tig Notaro and Pete Holmes.
Seinfeld fans will be happy to see Jason Alexander and Wayne Knight pair up together. "Whenever you see people who spent a lot of time together and who have a lot of shared experiences, it’s fun," Kimmel noted.
The late-night host also noted that actor Michael Keaton handpicked his teammate, Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett. Other teams include Brad Paisley and Clayton Kershaw, Timothy Simons and Jackie Tohn, Billy Porter and Leslie Odom, Jr., Jesse Eisenberg and Paul Giamatti, Sarah Jane Nader and Brooks Nader, Michael Kosta and Wendi McLendon-Covey, Awkwafina and Paul Feig, and Krysten Ritter and Sarah Shahi.
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