After surviving questions about eyelid lifts, extreme sensitivity to tickling and the animals that talked in the Old Testament, actor Jesse Eisenberg’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” run came down to a nail-biter: “Tutti Frutti” or “Purple Haze”?
On the Aug. 12, 2026, episode of the seminal quiz show, Eisenberg and partner Paul Giamatti picked Jimi Hendrix’s iconic recording when they should’ve rocked with Little Richard’s hit, ending the duo’s climb up the “Millionaire” money ladder. Still, no one in Lennie’s Brewpub in Bloomington would say Eisenberg, an actor and writer known for movies like “The Social Network” and “A Real Pain,” really lost the game.
Eisenberg and Giamatti – who stars alongside Julianne Moore in Eisenberg’s upcoming film “The Debut” – walked away with $500,000 thanks to their trivia prowess. Half of that will go to Middle Way House, a Bloomington-based domestic violence shelter that Eisenberg’s championed for years. Friends and supporters of the organization packed the top floor of Lennie’s to watch the “Millionaire” episode with Eisenberg, who was in town with his wife and family.
“I fell in love with helping the place,” Eisenberg told IndyStar of Middle Way, which Eisenberg’s mother-in-law led for 30 years. “When I got the opportunity to do ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,’ it was thrilling because I figured, ‘Oh, this is the perfect opportunity to win money for Middle Way.'”
Though born and raised in New York City – and based there now – Eisenberg has strong Indiana ties, evidenced by the Indiana University baseball cap that’s become something of a staple for the 42-year-old actor and playwright. His wife, Anna Strout, grew up in Bloomington and graduated from IU, and the couple lived in the college town during the pandemic.
While Bloomingtonians, Eisenberg and Strout became regular volunteers at Middle Way House, which provides prevention services and legal counseling in addition to emergency shelter and resources. The two are still heavily involved in the organization, aiding in fundraising efforts and literally rolling up their sleeves while at the Bloomington facility.
Middle Way House relies partially on federal grant funding – now in flux for nonprofits nationwide with sweeping cuts and freezes – to keep the operation running. While the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” cash flow is an immediate plus for Middle Way House, Carrie Stillions, the organization’s executive director, said Eisenberg’s appearance will also raise invaluable awareness and name recognition.
“As we navigate so many funding challenges, it is essential and is amazing to get our name out there,” Stillions said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to be reminded that we are still here, we are still doing the work and supporting survivors.”
The modern iteration of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” revived in 2020 by host and executive producer Jimmy Kimmel, sees celebrity pairs chase the elusive million-dollar prize for charities of their choice. Eisenberg and Giamatti had an impressive showing, nailing 12 of the game’s 15 questions before falling short on which song, according to Rolling Stone, produced the most iconic rock and roll lyric of all time (the “awop-bop-a-loo-mop, alop bom bom” ad-lib from Little Richard’s “Tutti Fruitti,” for those curious).
Questions on the show are notoriously niche, which Eisenberg said made prep near impossible. He and Giammati fielded queries about baseball “robo-umps,” a revolutionary figure that ended up on an Irish stamp (Che Guevara) and Colorado owl named Hootenany. Cracking open an encyclopedia or two might be a worthwhile errand for potential contestants, Eisenberg said, but he mostly crossed his fingers that his areas of expertise would come in handy.
Habitually averse to embracing the limelight (despite portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Eisenberg isn’t on social media), Eisenberg is iffy about playing the celebrity card. But for the charity so intertwined with his family in the town he once called home, he’ll do it just this once.
“I’m in a weird job where I get treated absurdly nicely for very little effort,” Eisenberg said. “I hope this doesn’t feel like an exercise in self-promotion as much as raising awareness for Middle Way House, which is the goal.”
Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jesse Eisenberg took on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ for Bloomington’s Middle Way House
Reporting by Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
