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Could Jimmy Fallon Be the Next Oscars Host?
Finding a host for the Academy Awards is no laughing matter, and everyone currently involved is keeping fairly tight-lipped about the process. Rumor has it Jimmy Fallon is in talks to take the high-profile gig, with "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels in the producer role. The Academy would not confirm that either Michaels or Fallon were possibly in line to have a part in the 2013 telecast, explains The L.A. Times' Movies Now blog. One issue is that the Academy just named its new president this week, and that new leader, Hawk Koch, said one of the first tasks at hand for him would be to find a producer for the next show. Is that producer Michaels? No one is talking.
But ABC, the network that airs the Oscars, might be squawking over a Michaels/Fallon show team. Why? Well, those guys are from rival network NBC. While ABC can't override a choice by the Academy, Koch's predecessor, who began talks with prospective producers and hosts, said he'd pledged to at least keep ABC in the loop and take their concerns into consideration. Of course, it's not his job anymore, so what Koch is up to remains to be revealed.
Hosting the Oscars is one helluva job--and in recent years the host (or hosts) have been heavily scrutinized for bringing more awkward than funny to the stage. And even getting a producer has become a chore of late; last year Brett Ratner was tapped for the gig, then he backed out, with his host pick, Eddie Murphy, right behind him. Old favorite Billy Crystal took the job, but didn't exactly wow the audience. Would Fallon be a good fit?
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