TV Zone
News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
posts Next post »Stewart election night coverage
Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin host Oscars
Photo credit: Getty Images
Surprised? I was.
And I know what you're wondering - a first to have two hosts?
Not at all. In fact, there were three hosts in '85 and '86.
But the Academy can easily say that this is a break with recent tradition....
Here's my wrap for tomorrow, followed by the full press release from the Academy:
Two wild and crazy guys will host the Oscars - and apologies to both, but just couldn't resist: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were picked yesterday to headline TV's biggest awards show, the 82nd, to be telecast next March 7 from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said co-producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic in a statement late yesterday. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”
And in a pair of statements that offer just the slightest hint of what viewers might expect next year, Martin said, “I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin.”
“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars - it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.
A surprise? Your answer is of the yes/no variety: Martin was an esteemed host for the 73rd and 75th shows (and got an Emmy for the first outing) while Baldwin is, obviously, a favorite of that other big awards show, the Emmys. But, the Academy also seemed to have found an ideal singing-dancing host in Hugh Jackman last year, and a sly, dry, wry one in Jon Stewart the year before that. This pair is a distinct - and oddly, traditional - departure.
Moreover, the Academy has gone with solo hosts all the way back to 1986, when a trio (Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Paul Hogan) hosted.
Here's the press release, in full. (*The Wrap broke this story first).
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced today.
“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”
“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.
“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.
Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint. He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, most recently at the ceremony in February when he appeared with Tina Fey. He is currently touring with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his latest album “The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo.” In 1977 and 1978 Martin won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording. He earned a third Grammy in 2001 in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category. In 2007 Martin earned a Kennedy Center Honor.
Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in “The Cooler.” That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show. Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on the comedy “30 Rock,” a role for which he has won two Emmys (in 2008 and 2009). Baldwin earned a Tony nomination in 1992 for his performance in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Tags: alec baldwin , steve martin , the oscars
