Cold steel nerves are needed to anchor as much live television as Regis Philbin did in his long career. Now, after his death on Saturday, fans celebrate Philbin’s signature unflappability by recirculating an old episode of Who wants to be a millionaire That finds the host deftly navigating the high-stakes drama of a million dollar question while terrorizing celebrity contestant Norm Macdonald, who is usually the one who terrifies.
After an introduction in which Philbin strokes Macdonald’s head like a child, he pushes and pushes until the comedian’s poker face, so rarely torn, collapses into a vortex of anxiety. Having exhausted his last lifeline, Macdonald tackles the final question: Which golf course has a Cold War bunker under it? He is as irritated as we have ever seen him, no doubt stimulated by high stakes, he is playing for Paul Newman Hole at the Wall Gang Camp, but also by Philbin’s direct poll. “You have a little streak in you, don’t you?” Philbin asks, knowing very well what Macdonald does. “You want to see if you can win the game, don’t you? You want to win a million dollars, don’t you? The audience is on the edge of their seat. Macdonald writhes, jumping between two responses
Unable to potentially sacrifice the half-million he already raised for the camp, Macdonald finally bends under Philbin’s ribs, only for the host to dramatically reveal that Macdonald’s shaky assumption was correct. It’s not just great television, but more evidence that Philbin could keep up (and sometimes shake off) with the best comedians in show business. Macdonald also revered him clearly. In a tweet from 2017He said he still hoped to work with the host one day. “[S]even the best, “he wrote.
Watch the full Macdonald game in its entirety below. You can drop in at 12:30 PM for the final question, or start from the beginning to find out that he and Kato Kaelin had been friends for 15 years at the time.
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