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Winning Ben Stein's money

UA grad student walks away with grand prize in popular

Who wants to win Ben Stein's money?

UA chemistry graduate student Jeff Thompsen, actually - and he did.

"I beat him," Thompsen said simply. "I beat Ben."

Thompsen, an admitted trivia show buff, decided to try out for "Win Ben Stein's Money," a popular game show on cable's Comedy Central, after watching the show and being able to recite the correct answers on the screen.

About a month after sending producers an e-mail, show representatives contacted Thompsen with the opportunity to visit the show's Los Angeles studios for an audition, which included a 30-question written test and a mock version of the game.

Thompsen said he was not sure how well he scored, but at any rate, he made it on the show.

"They didn't say what you needed to pass the test, but I passed it," he said.

After proving himself at the tryouts, Thompsen was called back for a taping. The episode showing Thompsen, engaged in an intellectual duel with host Ben Stein, aired on Wednesday.

Thompsen said producers were looking for contestants not only with a keen intellect, but a lively personality.

"They said they wanted people with energy and spunk to be out there," he said.

The show's host - a professor, political insider and actor who has played roles in several TV shows and films including the series "The Wonder Years" and the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - is known for being a colorful personality himself, becoming visibly upset when contestants outsmart him.

Thompsen described Stein as "brainy as hell" but also somewhat arrogant - making his victory in the final round even sweeter.

Thompsen's advancement to the final round - a square-off between him and Stein in separate soundproof chambers, firing off answers to identical questions - resulted in Thompsen edging out Stein, five correct answers to four, and pocketing the $5,000 prize.

"Honestly, the money wasn't the big thing. I was more ... for the pride benefit - I beat him," he said. "It's kind of like giving him his druthers, his comeuppance."

Thompsen said, true to the show's title, all prize money handed out comes directly from Stein's personal account. Five thousand dollars are budgeted for the grand prize on each show, and the more questions contestants answer correctly for his cash, the more agitated Stein becomes.

Thompsen said he was only slightly nervous about appearing before an audience, and he calmed down only after he realized he would be facing the show's host.

Thompsen correctly answered questions on science, popular culture and economics - one of Stein's specialties.

"Apparently, he's an economist, and I am just a chemist, so what should I know about that? He was pretty pissed off about that," Thompsen laughed.

However, Thompsen did miss one alcohol-knowledge question - how many ounces in a shot of Pony?

The correct answer would be one ounce, not four as Thompsen guessed.

"I don't hang out at Maloney's enough to know this," he said.

"Win Ben Stein's Money" is not Thompsen's first brush with game show fame, however. As a college freshman, he participated in College Jeopardy and took home $5,000. He also was recently picked as an alternate for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," though he never did get to sit face-to-face on stage with host Regis Philbin.

"I'm still trying to get on 'Millionaire,'" he said. "I so want to go back there."

Thompsen said he and another graduate student from the University of Arizona chemistry department tried out, but his colleague was not called out to California. Still, Thompsen said there was much support and encouragement from his peers.

Thompsen insisted his life does not revolve around claiming victory on nationally televised game shows, though.

In his second year as a chemistry graduate student, Thompsen works in a laboratory at the UA Steward Observatory, combining chemistry and astronomy to study the molecules important to the interstellar medium. He also manages to do some chemical engineering consulting on the side.

Thompsen's sister Julie, a UA Spanish sophomore, said that after her brother's previous appearances on television games shows, his spot on "Win Ben Stein's Money" was almost expected.

Julie Thompsen recalled her brother as a hard studier in high school - however, she added that she was impressed by his victory.

"I thought it was really cool that he won," she said. "It just seems like the game show circuit is his thing, and I think it's kind of funny."