Johnny Andris didn’t win a million dollars, but earning $8,000 for a few minutes of national television fame wasn’t bad.

Andris, a media relations intern in the Kansas University Athletic Department, taped an appearance on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” last fall. The show aired Friday afternoon on Kansas City and Topeka television stations.

“It was a little nerve-racking, but a lot of fun watching myself,” the 23-year-old said.

The show features host Meredith Vieira asking trivia questions of contestants sitting on “the hot seat.” The more questions contestants answer, the more money they win until they reach the $1 million mark. If they miss a question, they are eliminated and lose whatever money they had won.

If a candidate wants help answering a question, he has various “lifelines” or options he can use. After winning $8,000, Andris used his third lifeline and called his father, John Andris, in Louisville, Ky., for help.

The question: “In 2005, a Russian astrologer filed a $300 lawsuit against what U.S. company: the EPA, FBI, NASA or the CIA?”

The answer was NASA, but Andris wasn’t confident in answering the question even with his dad’s help (his father would have guessed correctly, however). He took the money and declined to continue. He should receive his check in a few weeks.

Next week Andris will return to his alma mater, Wake Forest University, to visit friends and repay one of them $40 he owes him.

“I might also buy a television set and a laptop,” he said.