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Eddie Murphy Confirmed As Oscars Host
Posted on Tue Sep 6, 2011 11:45 AM PDT
Deadline reported Tuesday morning that Eddie Murphy is definitely hosting the Oscars, though the Academy has not yet made an announcement.
Director Brett Ratner produces the show, and he will tell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences that he's chosen Murphy to host. Murphy stars in Ratner's comedy Tower Heist, out in November.
Usually, an Oscar host is not announced until January, but reportedly Murphy's talent agency, WME, thinks the news would be a good boost to his career.
He hasn't starred in a live-action pic on the big screen since 2009's forgettable Imagine That.
Murphy has stand-up comedy roots that may be what the show needs after last year's dismally reviewed show with Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Stand-ups have done best in the past -- the 1998 show hosted by Billy Crystal is still the top-rated telecast of all time.
UPDATE [12:05 p.m. PST]: The Academy has officially announced Murphy as host.
Oscars writer Bruce Vilanch told Deadline last year:
- “There’s no job quite like it [hosting the Oscars] in the world. You have to entertain this industry crowd. You have to stay cool when the lights are blazing down. You’ve got to move things along. And you’ve got to be charming without offending anyone."
The 1998 telecast honored James Cameron's Titanic, which probably helped ratings.
From the press release on Murphy:
- "Murphy began his career at the age of 15 as a stand-up comedian. In 1980, at the age of 19, he joined the cast of 'Saturday Night Live,' becoming the show's youngest cast member to that point, and bringing to life many of the show's most memorable characters. His 1983 album 'Eddie Murphy: Comedian' won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording. It included portions of his groundbreaking HBO special 'Eddie Murphy Delirious.' In 1987, 'Eddie Murphy Raw' was theatrically released and went on to gross over $50 million."
Do you think Eddie Murphy is a good choice?
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