Could you tell us about your charity?
I'm playing for The Archer School for Girls financial aid, uh, program. And, uh, Archer is this incredibly cool progressive school. I think it was founded in '95. Um, it's in California, and it is dedicated to trying to create the optimal learning environment, um, for young women. And it's also an incredible and, uh, special community.
What would winning $1,000,000 mean to your charity?
A million dollars would be insane. I think $25,000 is going to go a long way to towards, uh, helping kids who might not otherwise be able to, um, pay the full tuition. Uh, a million dollars would be, uh, 40 times better? I sh--gotta remember my math.
What do you think of your competition?
I think I got a tough draw, I'll be honest. Um, both Christopher and Harry are--are very, very sharp. I'm hoping what I lack in knowledge and intellect I can maybe make up with speed. [Mimes pressing the signaling device] Although it's hard to win this game all on buzzer--because ultimately you have to answer some questions, so... [Laughs]
Did you prepare differently for this appearance than the last time?
Last time I played, I prepared a bit, and, and only later to discover that nothing I prepared, uh, was relevant or came in--so I swore, one, that I would never play again, because having won once, I kinda wanted to go out on a high note; um, but I've thrown that to the breeze. Uh, this time I did the same. Uh, I went over my state capitals, I played a little PlayStation 2 Jeopardy! against my 7-year-old son. (I did very well.) Um, that's about it, I think.
Was there a point when you knew the game was "in the bag"?
Um, yes. Er--early on, uh, I was very, very nervous to begin with, but I got on a roll, uh, very quickly. Um, and then when Jeff Probst said, uh, "I'm going to leave and go to the bathroom", while we were still playing, it felt like I think I may, I may just be able to pull this off.
What's more important: winning or having fun?
Number one, not humiliating myself. It ought to be the charity, but to be perfectly candid, not humiliating myself is my No. 1 goal. Second goal, winning money for the charity. Having fun, [waving it off] neh! |
"He created and produced Celebrity Poker Showdown for the Bravo Channel, and now has a recurring role as wealthy businessman Peter Alpert in the crime drama In Plain Sight. Here's..."
Playing on behalf of The Archer School for Girls.
Star of NBC's Emmy Award-winning ensemble The West Wing, actor Joshua Malina has the impressive distinction of having appeared in all but one project that Aaron Sorkin has written/produced. As Will Bailey, Malina filled the slot left open by Rob Lowe's departure in the hit drama series. He most recently starred opposite Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott in the ABC comedy series Big Shots, and currently recurs on the USA Network drama In Plain Sight.
Upon graduation from Yale University with a B.A. degree in theatre, Malina made his professional acting debut in the Broadway production of Sorkin's A Few Good Men. He went on to star as Jeremy Goodwin in the critically acclaimed television series Sports Night, for which he and his castmates were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy. Other Sorkin credits include the hit features The American President and Malice.
Additional film credits include Bruno Barreto's dark comedy for Miramax A View from the Top with Gwenyth Paltrow and Mike Meyers, In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood, and Bulworth with Warren Beatty and Halle Berry.
Malina served as executive producer on the original Bravo series Celebrity Poker Showdown which filmed on-location at the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and broke ratings records for the network. He's also affiliated with the HollywoodPoker.com website.
Malina also appeared in Hank Azaria's directorial debut, a short film entitled Ray's Ex- Vision. This marked their first collaboration since they co-starred as writing partners on the sitcom Imagine That. Among his other television credits is a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show as Kenny, the shockingly uncreative creative executive; the Tom Hanks HBO production of From the Earth to the Moon; Tracey Takes On...; the telefilm How to Marry a Billionaire, Numbers, Valentine, Medium, Grey's Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and the ABC Family Channel original See Jane Date.
Raised in New Rochelle, New York, Malina now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. |
