Late night host Jimmy Kimmel is back in the spotlight as the host for the 96th Academy Awards. As the anticipation for the Oscars continue to grow among fans, Jimmy Kimmel is preparing to host the show with the perfectionism that he has a natural flair for. Though most people would think it was the most obvious decision for Kimmel to take on the role of the Oscars host again, the host himself has a different story to tell.
Jimmy Kimmel recently revealed that he was not very keen on taking on the role of the Oscars host for the fourth time tihs year. In fact, he said he had decided he wuld never take on the role again. But something made him change his decision. Here’s what it is.
Jimmy Kimmel Opens Up About His Experiences As A Three-Time Oscars Host
As Hollywood braces up for the big Oscars night, Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the awards ceremony for the fourth and second consecutive time . The late-night personality recently opened up about how he was not sure about taking on the role again, but the blockbuster movie ‘Barbie‘ changed his decision.
“I did not think I would ever do it again,” Kimmel said during an interview with the Los Angeles Times as he spoke about hosting the 96th ceremony next month. “I did two of them, and they went well — something crazy happened at one of them with a story I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Kimmel added.
The late night show host first hosted the Academy Awards in 2017. It became particularly memorable when the wrong winner for Best Picture was initially announced, creating a mix-up that has since become a part of Oscar history. ‘La La Land’ was mistakenly announced as the winner of Best Picture over ‘Moonlight’.
After the blunder, Kimmel hosted the awards again in 2018, and then took a five-year hiatus before returning to lead the show in 2023.
“I know how much work goes into [the Oscars], so I thought, ‘Yeah, I don’t necessarily want to do this ever again,'” Kimmel added. He then mentioned how ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had once changed his mind about hosting the Awards in 2023. “I knew there was a movie that people had seen, and it just makes the job easier,” he said.
In case you missed it: Cillian Murphy Says Barbenheimer “Was A Great Moment For Cinema” Ahead Of Oscars Showdown Between ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’
What Is It About ‘Barbie’ That Made Jimmy Kimmel Change His Mind?
Jimmy Kimmel said another film has had that effect on him this year. “I am sitting in a movie theater watching Barbie and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’ll do this again, because at least I have a point of reference with everyone,’” he said of Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster film, which is nominated for eight awards.
“I made a joke about Moonlight that made it clear to me that the vast majority of the room had not seen the movie, even though it won Best Picture,” Kimmel said, referring to the incident as a lesson he learned during his first year hosting.
The Academy announced Kimmel’s return as host in November 2023. He joked in a release at the time, “I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s wife and co-head writer of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, Molly McNearney will also join him for the Oscars as an executive producer. The couple’s collaboration on the Oscars in 2023 earned McNearney an Emmy nomination for her work.
The 96th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with the live broadcast airing on ABC at 7 p.m. ET.
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