Charles Van Doren, a young academic and key figure in a ’50s TV game show scandal, has died at 93 of natural causes.

Van Doren won, a then-record $129,000 on the show ”Twenty-One” in late 1956 and ’57.

(emcee Jack Berry, Van Doren/UPI)

His story was made into the 1994 Robert Redford directed movie ”Quiz Show,” in which Ralph Fiennes portrayed Van Doren.

After initially denying he had been given advance answers, Van Doren later admitted the show was rigged.

He pleaded guilty to perjury for lying to a grand jury that investigated him and nine other winners from three shows – ”Twenty-One,” ”Tic-Tac-Dough” and ”Hi-Lo”.