Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards three times, with each time being a momentous occasion, to say the least. While he’ll be returning to the stage for this year's ceremony to help recognize the 2024 Oscar nominees, Kimmel didn’t actually think he’d be hosting the show again. However, the critically adored and box office smash Top Gun: Maverick changed his mind.
You may know Jimmy Kimmel for hosting his late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as the Oscars, but he’s actually been hosting since he was 15 years old because he would emcee at his church’s flea market. Then, Kimmel became part of history hosting three Academy Award shows. However, despite having a knack for things like this, the late-night host told The Los Angeles Times that having controversial moments occur during the years he presented almost made him back down from hosting the 96th Academy Awards.
I did not think I would ever do it again. I did two of them, and they went well — something crazy happened at one of them with a story I’ll have for the rest of my life. I know how much work goes into them, so I thought, ‘Yeah, I don’t necessarily want to do this ever again.’
The crazy story that Jimmy Kimmel is referring to was at his first Oscars when the wrong envelope was infamously read. Bonnie and Clyde’s Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La Land as Best Picture, because they were given a confusing card that read Emma Stone as the winner of Best Actress for La La Land. Right as the cast and crew of the musical movie came up on the Oscars stage to get their trophy, the film’s producer Jordan Horowitz revealed a mistake was made and Moonlight was actually the winner.
Then, when the television host returned as host for the third time in 2023, he took it upon himself to bring humor to the ceremony after the controversial 2022 show when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage. Kimmel, of course, made a joke about the scandalous slap during his opening monologue, and then the show went on.
With all of the drama that’s come out of the Oscars, you’d understand Jimmy Kimmel’s reasoning for not wanting to host again. However, it took one Tom Cruise movie and a Mattel Inc. doll film to bring him back to the 95th Oscars as well as this year's, and here's why:
I knew there was a movie that people had seen [Top Gun: Maverick], and it just makes the job easier. Then this year, I am sitting in a movie theater watching ‘Barbie’ and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’ll do this again, because at least I have a point of reference with everyone.
With so many people who saw the ever-popular Top Gun: Maverick and Barbie, it's easy for Jimmy Kimmel to reach audiences with references they'll understand. Both movies had the power to bring people back into theaters post-pandemic, and they both reached the $1 billion mark at the box office. Plus, they were the highest-grossing movies the year they each came out. Even filmmaker Ridley Scott has thanked Tom Cruise and Barbie for saving theatrical releases.
Jimmy Kimmel may have thought his Oscar-hosting days were over for him, but it took box office toppers Top Gun: Maverick and Barbie to lure him back to the ceremony stage. With the 96th Academy Awards just around the corner, the American comedian plans to make sure the event runs smoothly and not worry so much about the jokes he plans to tell. With his easy-breezy humor, I’m confident it'll be a success. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a classic “feud” moment with Matt Damon’s snubbed movie Air thrown in his Oscars material somewhere.
The 96th Academy Awards will air on March 10th at 7 p.m. ET on ABC as part of the 2024 TV schedule. You can also watch box office winners Top Gun: Maverick with a Paramount+ subscription and Barbie via a Max subscription.
