All eyes are on the 97th Academy Awards, scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2. This year, the Oscars will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
Conan O’Brien has previously played host to some of the glamour events, including the Emmys, the MTV Movie Awards, and the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
The Oscar committee is famed for experimenting with the format when it comes to the host. Ahead of the glittery event, let’s take a trip down memory lane and take a look at all Oscar hosts over the years.
Bob Hope (1940-1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959-1962, 1965-1968, 1975 and 1978)
Bob Hope holds the record of hosting the most number of Oscars. His witty one-liners and underlined jokes have stayed in our hearts rent-free.
Billy Crystal (1990 – 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012)
Billy Crystal, best known for his stint in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, hosted the Oscars nine times. In 2000 and 2004, the actor held a fun segment, What The Stars Are Thinking, where he mimicked what thoughts run across the minds of celebrities.
Johnny Carson (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984)
Before Jimmy Fallon, it was Johnny Carson who took viewers on a joyride with his three-decade-long The Tonight Show. Dubbed as the “King of Late Night”, he died in 2005.
Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002)
Whoopi Goldberg won her first Oscar for her role in the 1990 thriller romance Ghost. She scripted history as the first Black woman to emcee the show solo in 1994.
Jack Lemmon (1958, 1964, 1972 and 1985)
Besides hosting four times, Jack Lemmon is also a two-time Oscar winner (Mister Roberts, 1995 and Save the Tiger, 1973). He held a solo show in 1964. Jack Lemmon died in 2021.
Jimmy Kimmel (2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024)
Jimmy Kimmel brought his Tonight Show charm to the Oscars four times. His female co-hosts in 2023 were Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
Jerry Lewis (1956, 1957 and 1959)
Jerry Lewis, nicknamed the King of Comedy, was put in a tough spot in the last year of his hosting. The event wrapped 20 minutes earlier than scheduled as the final award was presented before the stipulated time.
David Niven (1958, 1959 and 1974)
At the 31st Academy Awards in 1959, David Ninen achieved the significant milestone of hosting and receiving the Oscar — the first in history to do so. He took home the Best Actor award for the romance drama Separate Tables.
Steve Martin (2001, 2003 and 2010)
Did you know that the EGOT winner hosted the biggest night in the world of cinema solo during his first two years as emcee?
Chris Rock — (2005, 2016, 2022)
Perhaps one of the most controversial Oscar events occurred in 2022 when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia. After the incident, Chris refused to host the Oscars in 2023.
Ellen DeGeneres (2007 and 2014)
Remember in 2014, when talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres clicked a million-dollar selfie at the Oscars featuring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence?
Hugh Jackman (2009)
In his opening monologue, the Wolverine star had fun moments with Kate Winslet and Anne Hathaway. He also performed a medley on stage, entertaining the audience.
James Franco and Anne Hathaway (2011)
The Hollywood Reporter called James Franco and Anne Hathaway’s 2011 Oscar gig “spectacularly bad”, and the rest is history.
Seth MacFarlane (2013)
Seth MacFarlane’s hosting act whipped up a controversy after he delivered the opening number We Saw Your B**bs. The segment focused on all the celebrities who appeared topless in films.
Neil Patrick Harris (2015)
Although several news outlets claimed that his stint as a host failed to evoke the right emotions, Neil Patrick Harris’ musical renditions received praise.
