kevinchu
“Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show” tweeted by Billy Crystal when it was announced that he will be hosting the Oscars again for the upcoming academy awards, in place of Eddie Murphy.
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy dropped the gig following Brett Ratner’s use of a homophobic insult and his resignation from his role as the awards’ producer. Twenty-four hours later, Crystal announced that he will be the Oscars’ host.
Billy Crystal at the 2004 Oscars
It was debated whether or not Crystal, who is now 63-years-old, was too old for the job. Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences affirmed that he wasn’t, “Bob Hope did the Oscars in his sixties.” As a matter of fact, he was, “Thrilled to welcome Billy back to the Oscar stage.” He also noted that Crystal is, “a comic legend and Oscar icon, and it feels good to have him back where he belongs.”
He was also seen as a “safe” choice. However, at Saturday night’s Governor’s Awards, Sherak denied that Billy Crystal was a “safe choice” but rather a good one. “Some of the most successful Oscars have been hosted by him, and we would think he would be a good choice any year he wanted to come back.”
Sherak also claimed when, “You go live on ABC at 5:30 p.m. for movie’s biggest night, safety is thrown out the door. Anything can happen, and some people will love it and some will hate it. There is no such thing as safe in live television. Is Billy comfortable for us? Absolutely. Safe? I don’t think anyone is safe. All hosts have their fans and their critics.”
Guillermo Del Toro (left) with Tom Sherak (right) at the premiere of "Hellboy" at the Mann Village Theater on March 30, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.
If Crystal is to host this upcoming year, it will be his 9th time hosting. The last years he hosted the Oscars was 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2004. The 1998 show was the highest rated Oscar showing, when “Titanic” won multiple awards.
It seems that there is a very warm welcoming of Billy’s return for the upcoming Oscars in February 2012, perhaps it may again be one of the most successful Oscars to come.
