Former Child Star Wins $5.2 Mil Jackpot

Call her a modern day Charlie Bucket! Former child actress Natalie Marston went from having $20 in her checking account to a whopping $5.2 million overnight — and it was all thanks to a golden ticket.

"I don't know if it's ever going to sink in," Natalie, 23, tells Star. "It's such a huge blessing and it really does feel surreal. It's like a dream come true."

A working actress since the age of five, Natalie got her start in a series of nationally broadcasted Barbie commercials. The Upland, Calif., native went on to land guest starring roles on shows like Smart Guy and Two of a Kind (she says the Olsen twins were "both very sweet"), as well as a part in the 1999 film Magnolia.

But like many child actors have learned before her, Natalie found that roles became harder to come by as she grew up. Feeling down on her luck this past February, she decided to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket on a whim. She never expected to scratch her way onto the Aug. 22 episode of Make Me a Millionaire (a popular game show syndicated throughout California) and win the jackpot: a giant check for $5.2 million.

"I keep thinking I'm going to suddenly wake up and realize it was all a dream," she says.

With her newfound financial security, Natalie is determined to get her career back on track. She dreams of following in the footsteps of Rachel McAdams, someone she admires for working steadily in a wide array of different roles and for keeping her private life out of the public eye.

"I chose this career because I love it — not because I want to be famous or have people in my business," Natalie says with conviction. "I just love acting. It's as simple as that."

And although Natalie insists she and her fiancè won't frivolously throw her winnings away — she promises not to over-pamper Bentley, her one-year-old Maltese — they are planning one very special purchase: a European honeymoon, following their Sept. 2010 wedding!

"It'll be a trip of a lifetime," Natalie gushes. "And to spend it with someone I love so much will only make it that much better."