California Lottery: Former Snow White wins lottery
Natalie Marston's trips to the wishing well paid off this weekend.
The Rancho Cucamonga resident was working as Snow White at Disneyland when she bought a lottery ticket on a whim in February. That ticket just made Marston a millionaire.
Marston, 22, won the $5.2 million jackpot on the"Make Me a Millionaire" show by the California Lottery on Saturday. The show airs 7:30 p.m. Saturdays on KCAL-9.
"I know I played Snow White, but I feel more like Cinderella," Marston said in a prepared statement.
In a phone interview, Marston said she knew that she was guaranteed $2,000 when she scratched her lottery ticket to find that she qualified to go on the 30-minute lottery T.V. show. But the initial prize wasn't a factor in her decision to quit her Disneyland job about four months ago. Instead, Marston wanted to pursue acting jobs full-time.
"It was just something I did to have an income between my acting jobs," Marston said. "I had a great run, a lot of fun and I got to meet great people and adorable kids."
Marston has worked as an actress on and off since she was 5 years old, starring in Barbie commercials as a child, appearing in the "Magnolia" movie with Tom Cruise and recently taking guest spots on T.V. shows, such as "Criminal Minds."
"To have this happen was definitely more than I would have ever expected," Marston said. "I still don't think I believe it to this day."
While she no longer has to whistle while she works, Marston said she plans to keep seeking acting jobs.
"This doesn't change anything with my acting carer. That's still my passion and love. This just makes me able to not be financially burdened or stressed," Marston said.
She and her fiance, John, hope to use the money to buy a house and prepare for the future. The money will enable them to go on some trips and hold their September 2010 wedding at an outdoors, romantic location that they wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise.
"We want to be smart with the money and do the right thing so it does last for years to come," Marston said. "We'll obtain our goals a lot sooner than we would have been able to."
Natalie Marston, 22-year-old actress who won a $5.2 million jackpot.
Natalie Marston as Snow White.