Here’s A Look At Every Oscars Host Over The Years Ahead Of Academy Awards 2025 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Hollywood is getting decked up for one of the biggest award nights. The 97th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2. The ceremony will be broadcast live in India at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025. Conan O’Brien will host the award ceremony. O’Brien has previously hosted many prestigious events, including the Emmys and the MTV Movie Awards.
The Oscar committee is known for experimenting with its formats when selecting its host. As Conan O’Brien is gearing up to take the stage, here’s a list of star hosts, including Anne Hathaway, Chris Rock, Hugh Jackman, and others, who have made headlines with their humor and hosting skills over the years at the Academy Awards.
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Bob Hope (1940-1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959-1962, 1965-1968, 1975, and 1978)
Leslie Townes ‘Bob’ Hope was an American comedian, actor, entertainer, and producer who had a career of over 80 years. To date, he holds the record for hosting the most Oscars. His witty one-liners and underlined jokes have stayed rent-free in our hearts and minds. He died at the age of 100 in 2003.
Billy Crystal (1990 – 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012)
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Billy Crystal, best known for performing in When Harry Met Sally, hosted the Oscars for nine years. In 2000 and 2004, he introduced a fun segment called ‘What The Stars Are Thinking,’ in which he mimicked celebrities’ thoughts.
Johnny Carson (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984)
Before Jimmy Fallon, Johnny Carson took the viewers on a joyride with his humor and entertaining nature for decades with The Tonight Show. He hosted for five years. Carson was called the King of Late Night. In 2005, he died.
Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002)
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Before hosting the Oscars, Whoopi Goldberg won her first Academy Award for her role in the 1990 romance thriller Ghost. In 1994, she became the first Black woman to emcee the prestigious show and hosted for four years.
Jack Lemmon (1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002)
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Jack Lemmon is a two-time Oscar winner (Mister Roberts and Save the Tiger) and hosted the show four times. He had even held a solo show in 1964. Lemmon died in 2021.
Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024)
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Jimmy Kimmel, one of the popular comedians and Late Night Show hosts, brought his comic timing and charm to the Oscars four times. In 2023, he continued the show with three female co-hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes.
Jerry Lewis (1956, 1957 and 1959)
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Jerry Lewis, who hosted the Oscars for three years, was in a tough spot in his last year. The event wrapped up 20 minutes before its scheduled time, as the final award was presented way before the original time that was fixed. This created chaos.
David Niven (1958, 1959 and 1974)
David Niven hosted the show at the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 and took home the Best Actor award. He won the title for his role in the romance drama Separate Tables. He created history by becoming the first host to bag the award in the same year as well.
Steve Martin (2001, 2003 and 2010)
Steve Martin hosted the biggest night in cinema solo during his first two years as an emcee at the Oscars. It’s definitely something that should be mentioned.
Chris Rock — (2005, 2016, 2022)
Chris Rock has been involved in the Oscars for years and even hosted the show thrice. But probably one of the most controversial moments occurred in 2022 when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for cracking a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett’s alopecia. Later, Rock refused to host the Academy Awards in 2023.
Ellen DeGeneres (2007 and 2014)
Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Oscars for two years, and in one of them, the popular talk show host and comedian created a memorable moment with her million-dollar selfie. Do you remember the selfie that featured Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence?
Hugh Jackman (2009)
In 2009, Hugh Jackman hosted the show and entertained the audience with his charming presence. The Wolverine actor shared fun moments on stage with Kate Winslet and Anne Hathaway and even performed a medley to keep the viewers intrigued.
James Franco and Anne Hathaway (2011)
James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the show in 2011, which was reported as a “spectacularly bad” gig. The rest is history; no one talks about it.
Seth MacFarlane (2013)
Seth MacFarlane’s hosting attracted a lot of controversial speculations as his act sparked reactions from the audience. He delivered the opening number with a segment called We Saw Your B**bs. It focused on all the celebs who appeared topless in their movies that year.
Neil Patrick Harris (2015)
Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Oscars in 2015. Although many media outlets reported his gig as one of the most unresponsive hosting acts because he couldn’t evoke emotions, his musical renditions received widespread appreciation.
We are all waiting for the 2025 Oscars, which will be streamed live on Hulu. You can watch it on Hulu Live TV, YouTube, AT&T TV, and FuboTV. It will also be live-streamed on television Star Movies, and people can also enjoy it on JioHotstar.
