The 2025 Academy Awards had its share of surprises, but certainly nothing on par with the 2022 ceremony, which included one of the most famous unscripted moments in Oscars history when Will Smith came on stage to slap Chris Rock in the face.
Rock wasn’t hosting the Oscars that night, but he has hosted in the past. Certainly any decision to host again would involve revisiting the scene of the moment, which would have people talking about it again... something Rock might not want. But when speaking with E! After last night’s ceremony, the comedian didn’t shut the door on the possibility of returning to host, saying…
You never know. This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive. And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes. So, hey, you never know. I live in forgiveness. True love starts at forgiveness.
It certainly sounds like Chris Rock is willing to move on from the Oscar slap moment, and if that’s the case, then seeing him return to the Oscars stage, as either a presenter or as a host, is at least possible. It's a bit of a change from him. Back in 2019 Rock said he had no interest in hosting again.
That being said, for the next few years if Rock did return it wouldn’t require him to interact with Will Smith in any way. Smith was banned for a decade from attending the ceremony, and so there are still several years left on that punishment.
Still, it doesn’t sound like Chris Rock is necessarily considering a future gig as Oscars host, at least not after last night. When asked what he thought of Conan O’Brien’s performance, Rock could not have been more complimentary, saying it was so good they hope he’s asked back every year. Rock said…
I thought it was amazing, incredible. They should let him host every year.
Rock’s comments seem to be on par with many who thought O’Brien’s first outing as Oscar host was solid if not fantastic. Considering there have been years when it has been seemingly difficult for the Oscars to find a host if O’Brien wants to do it again, it seems a strong possibility it could happen.
There have been some great hosts over the years who have done such a good job that they were asked to host multiple times. Johnny Carson hosted five times, Billy Crystal hosted nine times and the iconic Bob Hope did it 19 times. Perhaps, if O’Brien does become a frequent host going forward, he could find his own name on that list. He’ll only need to host a couple more times to have done it more than Chris Rock.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
