Academy Adds 'Popular Film' Award, Vows to Shorten Oscars

AWARDS BEAT

In an attempt to boost sagging ratings for the Oscars, the Academy has taken dramatic and likely controversial steps to overhaul the annual awards ceremony, promising a three-hour show, moving some awards into commercial breaks and adopting a new category devoted to popular films.

The timeline for the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020 was also moved up, from its original February 24 date to Sunday, February 9. This will be the earliest the Oscars have ever taken place.

The changes were detailed in an email sent to Academy members on Wednesday morning from AMPAS President John Bailey and CEO Dawn Hudson. The rules were adopted by the Academy’s Board of Governors at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Also Read: Oscars Academy Has Doubled Non-White Members Since 2016, on Track to Double Women Too

The most dramatic of the changes are the decision to hand out “select categories” during commercial breaks, and then edit those presentations to be shown later in the telecast. While critics have pushed for years for the Oscars to streamline its telecast by presenting some of the 24 categories off the air, the board is dominated by representatives of below-the-line categories who seemed loath to allow any of the categories to essentially be designated as less important than others.

Which categories will be given out during commercials will be decided in what should be a contentious process.

Equally dramatic: the creation of a category designed to salute “outstanding achievement in popular film.” In the past, the Academy has resisted splitting or creating categories to increase the recognition of the kind of films that might draw a larger TV audience — but the 2009 expansion of the Best Picture category from five to 10 nominees didn’t substantially change the kind of films that were being nominated, which is often the determining factor when it comes to Oscar ratings.

The telecast hit a new low for ratings in March of this year.

Also Read: Risky Oscars Makeover Raises a Thousand Questions, But Few Answers

The new category should guarantee that, if nothing else, “Black Panther” will be nominated next year — but it also comes with a risk. If it is seen as a second Best Picture category for movies that people have actually seen, it could dilute the prestige of the real Best Picture category, and hurt the credibility of the Academy as a body devoted to honoring the quality rather than the success of films.

The letter from Bailey and Hudson said that “additional details, eligibility requirements and other key details” about the new category “will be forthcoming,” without specifying a timeline.

The email, in its entirety:

Dear Member,

Last night, the Board of Governors met to elect new board officers, and discuss and approve significant changes to the Oscars telecast.

The Board of Governors, staff, Academy members, and various working groups spent the last several months discussing improvements to the show.

Tonight, the Board approved three key changes:

1. A three-hour Oscars telecast

We are committed to producing an entertaining show in three hours, delivering a more accessible Oscars for our viewers worldwide.

To honor all 24 award categories, we will present select categories live, in the Dolby Theatre, during commercial breaks (categories to be determined). The winning moments will then be edited and aired later in the broadcast.

2. New award category

We will create a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film. Eligibility requirements and other key details will be forthcoming.

3. Earlier airdate for 92nd Oscars

The date of the 92nd Oscars telecast will move to Sunday, February 9, 2020, from the previously announced February 23. The date change will not affect awards eligibility dates or the voting process.

The 91st Oscars telecast remains as announced on Sunday, February 24, 2019.

We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world. The Board of Governors took this charge seriously.

We are excited about these steps, and look forward to sharing more details with you.

John Bailey and Dawn Hudson

The Last 14 Oscar Hosts Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos)

1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
YouTube
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images
1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.
Getty Images

1 of 15

From James Franco and Anne Hathaway to Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel, TheWrap looks back at the Hollywood stars who have hosted the Academy Awards over the last three decades

1. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2001, 2003) He's smart, classy and relaxed, an effortless performer with a sharp wit who knows how to hit the right tone, even when he hosted a show that began a few days after the Iraq war began. Plus the crew all say he's the most low-maintenance host imaginable. 2. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/hugh_jackman/">Hugh Jackman</a> (2009) When it seemed as if the standup-comic-as-Oscar-host tradition was becoming awfully tired, producers <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/bill_condon/">Bill Condon</a> and Lawrence Mark brought in a singing, dancing, charismatic movie star to show what a new kind of host could do. Since then, no other star has come close to doing what Jackman did, maybe because none could. 3. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/billy_crystal/">Billy Crystal</a> (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004, 2012) Let's face it, his last few times hosting the show were pretty stale -- but Crystal deserves to be high on the list (or maybe even top the list) for the four years, 1990-1993, in which he reinvented the job. Bonus points for the 1997 return in which he debuted the montage that inserted him into the year's top movies.4. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/whoopi_goldberg/">Whoopi Goldberg</a> (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002) For a host who was rarely the producers' first choice in the four years she did the job, Goldberg supplied plenty of indelible Oscar moments: her "Moulin Rouge"-style entrance in 2002, her costume changes in 1999 and her delight in tweaking the ABC censors every chance she got whenever she hosted.5. Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018) Before his first Oscars hosting gig was overshadowed by that Best Picture envelope fiasco, Kimmel was smart and entertaining enough that we forgave him for a few too many Matt Damon jokes. The following year was more of the same, suggesting that he's a capable host who won't light up the room but won't really let you down either.6. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/jon_stewart/">Jon Stewart</a> (2006, 2008) Stewart got off to a rocky start the first time he hosted, no doubt thrown by the notoriously difficult Oscar audience. But he got more assured as that show went along -- and when he hosted again two years later, he was sharp and smart and funny.7. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/chris_rock/">Chris Rock</a> (2005, 2016) Rock's first hosting gig got a bad rap because Sean Penn didn't appreciate that Jude Law joke, but his monologue had real bite and his filmed bits were funny. Although he seemed to be exactly the right host for the year of #OscarsSoWhite 11 years later, he squandered a strong start by rarely talking about anything except the elephant in the room.8. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/alec_baldwin/">Alec Baldwin</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/steve_martin/">Steve Martin</a> (2010) Individually, sure. Together, ho-hum. There's something about hosting the Oscars that diminishes a performer if they have to share the spotlight.9. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/david_letterman/">David Letterman</a> (1995) You have to feel bad for Letterman, who followed his idol Johnny Carson onto the Oscar stage but didn't adapt to the job the way Carson had. Some of his stuff was actually pretty funny, but his Oscarized version of the "Late Show" was a bad fit, and you could tell that he knew it.10. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/neil_patrick_harris/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (2015) Harris has the skill set to be a great host, as the Tonys and Emmys have shown. But NPH saved his worst hosting job for his biggest gig, maybe because the show had no idea how to play to his strengths. And hey, there were some truly impressive sleight of hand magic tricks at the end of the night -- but after a three-hour build-up, nobody cared. 11. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/seth-macfarlane/">Seth MacFarlane</a> (2013) It's not a good idea to start your Oscar show with a lengthy bit about what a terrible host you might be. But MacFarlane did just that, playing down his swankiness, playing up his smuttiness ("Show Us Your Boobs!") and setting exactly the wrong tone for the big night.12. <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/james_franco/">James Franco</a> & <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/" data-mce-href="http://www.thewrap.com/tag/anne_hathaway/">Anne Hathaway</a> (2011) He was nearly comatose; she overcompensated by being mind-numbingly perky. And a pairing that didn't make a lot of sense on paper ended up making no sense at all on stage.In 2019, the Oscars ceremony went ahead with no host, following Kevin Hart stepping down from the role after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The no-host awards show actually worked, to the point where the 2020 Academy Awards might be without a host yet again.

View In Gallery