Following an arduous, cross-country and cross-species casting search, The WB has found its billion-dollar chimpanzee.

The lucky monkey is Kendall, a 4 1/2-year-old chimp from Orlando, Fla., and choose the winning number in the network's "Play for a Billion" special on Sunday, Sept. 14. Kendall, who will play "Mr. Moneybags," will have the added pressure of performing in front of his hometown crowd, as the show will emanate from Orlando.

Kendall, whose credits include "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and appearances on Nickelodeon, will share the stage with hosts Drew Carey, Jamie Kennedy and Holly Robinson Peete. He was chosen from among dozens of simian thespians whose trainers submitted audition tapes.

"Kendall is very handsome by chimp standards," executive producer Matti Leshem says. "He is wildly charismatic. When he walks into a room all eyes turn to him. And, most importantly, he's the most ethical chimp we saw."

Kendall is not the chimp featured in an ad for the special with Carey and Kennedy in a bank. That monkey apparently didn't get along with his co-stars and was replaced.

During the special, 1,000 finalists chosen from entries in a Pepsi-sponsored sweepstakes will compete for a shot at the $1 billion prize. The last person standing is guaranteed to walk away with $1 million, which is hardly chimp -- er, chump -- change.

Kendall will then choose six numbers, and if they match the digits held by the final contestant, that person wins $1 billion.