Oscars’ Hosts Ranked From Worst to Best

Jimmy Kimmel will be requiring to the phase at Dolby Theater on Sunday to provide the 96th Academy Awards, marking the comic’s 4th turn as host.

Over 70 popular faces have actually provided the Oscars throughout its 96-year run, however sadly, not all hosts are developed equivalent.

While some stars have actually decreased in Oscars history for their shimmering wordplay or renowned dance numbers, others are best-remembered for their differing levels of cringe.

In honor of Sunday’s event, Newsweek ranks the very best and worst Oscars hosts on record.

The Worst Academy Awards Hosts of All Time

5) James Franco and Anne Hathaway

Getting 2 of Hollywood’s most significant names together to provide the Academy Awards might look like a no-brainer, however James Franco and Anne Hathaway made remarkably uncomfortable co-hosts in 2011.

The night began all right, with the set joking about the Academy’s reported effort to reach more youths with Franco’s excellent appearances. Things rapidly went downhill, with the stars having definitely no chemistry.

While a passionate Hathaway plainly attempted her finest, Franco took a look at part method through the program, leaving his co-host to overcompensate and making them both look bad.

4) David Letterman

David Letterman might not have actually been an incredible host, however a minimum of he understood it. Throughout a 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporterthe late-night television legend explained his 1995 providing slot as “a surge of excrement.”

Numerous superstars would pass away to host the Oscars, the comic wasn’t delighted about the gig after a laborious experience providing the 1986 Emmys. His representative persuaded him to accept the deal, however a distressed Letterman handled to psyche himself out, resulting in catastrophe.

“Almost instantly after accepting, I began to understand, ‘Oh, geez, what if this does not work out?'” the 76-year-old informed THR“Within a month, I had an awareness that, ‘Oh, by the method, this isn’t going to work out.’ And it ended up being a self-fulfilling prediction.”

Letterman started with his notorious “Oprah-Uma” bit, awkwardly calling out superstars with uncommon given names. The funny star stated he entered into survival mode, constantly referencing the unsuccessful joke throughout the night.

A number of his other quips about A-listers stopped working to land, with audiences implicating Letterman of having “destroyed the Academy Awards.” Regardless of battle, Letterman was asked to host the Oscars 2 more times, which he sensibly decreased.

3) Neil Patrick Harris

It’s uncertain precisely what Neil Patrick Harris was choosing in his 2015 Oscars’ hosting gig.

A few of his quips appeared to satirize Hollywood and the Academy’s absence of variety, such as the night’s opening joke: “We commemorate the very best and the whitest– sorry, brightest.” Other remarks were simply plain mean or offensive.

The star’s poorly-timed fracture about documentary filmmaker Dana Perry’s gown, provided right after she devoted her win to her late boy, stimulated outrage on social networks, as did his obvious dig at Octavia Spencer’s weight, with the Oscar-winner plainly uneasy with the gag.

Harris’s mockery of British star David Oyelowo’s accent likewise made audiences groan, especially as Harris handled to mispronounce the Selma star’s name numerous times.

2) Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase has actually established a little a credibility in Hollywood. The 1980’s icon is apparently tough to deal with and has actually apparently been involved in numerous behind-the-scenes fights.

The Saturday Night Live star’s stint as Oscars host most likely did little to resolve the reports. Chase provided the awards in 1988 throughout a Writers Guild of America strike, with the star handling to anger the audience with his opening monologue.

The National Lampoon alum started the event with “Good night, Hollywood phonies,” with his follow-up jibe about the author’s strike likewise failing.

Chase joked that his monologue had actually been “kindly contributed by 5 teamsters,” with the funny legend never ever handling to recover the crowd.

1) Seth McFarlane

Seth McFarlane’s 2013 Oscars hosting stint absolutely hasn’t aged well. It might have been pre-#MeToo, however the star’s “We Saw Your Boobs” tune handled to infuriate numerous huge names simultaneously.

The Household Guy developer’s opening number noted movies where starlets appeared partially nude, with much of the entertainers sitting right there in the audience.

The line “And Scarlett Johansson, we saw them on our phones” was especially out of favor, as naked images of the star had actually just recently dripped online, while film enthusiasts explained that the starlets were playing rape victims in a minimum of 3 of the movies noted.

His joke about Jennifer Aniston, in which he recommended the Pals star had a secret past as a stripper, likewise triggered outcry online, as did his quip about Chris Brown assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna a couple of years previously.

While talking about Best Picture candidate Django UnchainedMcFarlane stated: “This is the story of a male combating to return his lady who has actually gone through unimaginable violence, or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date motion picture.”

The New Yorker called McFarlane’s gags as “hostile, awful [and] sexist,” while The Guardian merely asked: “What was Seth McFarlane believing?”

The Very Best Academy Awards’ Hosts of All Time

5) Ellen DeGeneres

Bullying claims from her talk program workers might have polluted her track record, however back in 2014, Ellen DeGeneres was among the greatest comics on the planet.

Her very first effort at hosting the Academy Awards in 2007 might have been lack-luster, however the television star shined throughout her 2nd shot in 2014. DeGeneres’s jokes were quite tame compared to other years, her good-natured small talk took over the web, assisting to upgrade the yearly event for the digital age.

The comic was likewise behind that year’s viral Oscars selfiethat included huge names such as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Bradley CooperLupita Nyong’o and Meryl Streep. At the time, the picture was the most-shared Twitter post ever, acquiring over 3 million retweets.

4) Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart is another star to carry out much better the 2nd time around. While his very first run as host in 2006 was thought about dull and uncomfortable, The Daily Show host plainly gained from his errors, smashing it in 2008.

The comic satirized the current authors’ strike, which had actually ended simply a couple of weeks prior.

“I’m pleased to state the battle is over, so this evening, welcome to the makeup sex,” Stewart quipped.

Hosting throughout an election year, Stewart took a danger with his product, providing his jokes a political bend. His mocking of both Democrat and Republican figures landed well, as did his mild ribbing of candidates.

Still, Stewart was maybe most admired for welcoming When’s Markéta Irglová back on phase to complete her speech.

The Icelandic artist won Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly,” together with partner Glen Hansard. The Irish vocalist rattled on through their allocated time, leaving Irglová to be ushered off before she might even start speaking.

3) Whoopi Goldberg

When Goldberg hosted the Oscars in 1994, she was not just the very first African American to host the program, however likewise the very first lady to do it solo.

“Things are a little various, the host is using a gown which is an initially,” she informed the crowd, before joking: “I got it due to the fact that I appear to cross many ethnic and political lines. I’m a level playing field transgressor.”

Unsurprisingly, Goldberg rocked it, going on to provide the awards once again in 1996, 1999 and 2002. Her famous comical timing was constantly admired, as was her relatively continuous lineup of outrageous outfits.

The starlet dressed up as Queen Elizabeth I in 1999 to honor Best Picture winner Shakespeare in Loveand came down from the ceiling in a sparkly leotard and plumes as a homage to Moulin Rouge in 2002.

In an interview with Range in 2021, Goldberg stated she “had a good time” as host, landing an Emmy election in 1994 for her efforts.

2) Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal was so cherished by Oscars’ audiences, he hosted the program 9 times in between 1990 and 2012.

The star plainly loved the crowd as much as they did him, informing Individuals in 2021: “I had many fantastic memories hosting the program. It was a history of movie theater for me.”

Crystal’s 1998 efficiency was the most-watched Academy Awards broadcast ever, however the comic is likewise accountable for a few of the Oscars’ most remarkable minutes.

The filmmaker was wheeled on phase in a hand truck in 1992 for his parody of Hannibal Lector, following Silence of Lambs’ Finest Picture election, while his funny “What destiny Are Thinking Gag?”– in which Crystal pretended to check out the minds of celebs in the audience– triggered thunderous laughter and applause.

His opening song-and-dance numbers about candidates, set to tunes from the Great American Songbook, became his signature relocation. When Eddie Murphy left of hosting the 2012 awards reveal at the last minute, Crystal was asked to action in, restoring his renowned musical efficiencies.

“You didn’t believe I wasn’t going to do this?” he informed the crowd, before satirizing the year’s competitors.

1) Bob Hope

No celebrity has actually hosted the Oscars more times than Bob Hope. The comic initially required to the Academy Awards phase in 1940 and would host another 18 programs by 1978, either with co-hosts or as a solo star.

Helming the first-ever televised event in 1953, the well known amusing male was understood for his amusing one-liners and rapid shipment, which he gave the Oscars in addition to American soldiers overseas.

While Hope existed the award for Best Picture in 1966, the Academy amazed the performer with a gold medal honoring his famous hosting stints.

After being handed the unique award by Jack Lemmon, Hope asked: “You could not tip me or anything, huh?” before joking that anybody who wished to see the prize required to “pertain to my location, it’ll remain in the shrine.”