Jimmy Kimmel is a world-renowned entertainer who certainly knows how to tell a good joke. For over two decades, he’s been splitting sides on his talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Now, the Academy of Motion Pictures has invited him back once again to steer the ever-wobbly ship at the 2024 Oscars.
Hosting the “Biggest Night in Hollywood” is not a simple task. If it were only about jokes, comedians like Seth McFarlane and David Letterman would have succeeded, as it’s more than just delivering a string of punchy one-liners. A host has to read the room, exhibit impeccable timing, and know when to stop before things get uncomfortable.
More than six dozen hosts have tried to steer the Oscars ship over the course of the show’s 96-year history. Some have succeeded, others – not so much. Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, and Johnny Carson are three names who typically come to mind not just for their quality, but also their quantity; Hope hosted the show 19 times, Crystal 9 times, and Carson 5 times.
But what about Jimmy Kimmel? This year’s ceremony isn’t his first, nor his second, which means he’s clearly doing something right. Exactly how many times has he done this before?
This isn’t Jimmy Kimmel’s first rodeo — or even his second or third
Come March 10, Jimmy Kimmel will become one of three people in history to have hosted the Oscars four times. In doing so, Kimmel will join the likes of fellow celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon, who have also hosted the Oscars four separate times.
Kimmel’s first ceremony — in 2017 — involved the infamous envelopegate, wherein La La Land was prematurely awarded Best Picture over the rightful winner Moonlight. His second foray was in 2018, the year after Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy and all eyes were on the award show for another fumble like the year before. His third Oscars outing came in 2023, just a year after actor Will Smith, who won the Oscar for Best Actor that night, slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face on live television.
In fact, if you look closely at Kimmel’s track record, it seems the Academy has a one-track mind when it comes to choosing its host. Something controversial happened the year before? Bring in Jimmy Kimmel.
This year, Kimmel will look to up the ante once again and keep audiences and celebrity attendees on their toes. But, you know what? It’s hard to argue Kimmel hasn’t done a good job of it thus far – especially with the 2023 Oscars receiving an obvious jump in viewership.
Unless we’re thrown a curveball, we are in for an enjoyable night of cringe-less jokes from Kimmel, an intense summer rivalry re-addressed between Barbie and Oppenheimer, and an upset or two from a jam-packed lineup of stellar nominations.
The 96th Academy Awards premiere on ABC on Sunday, March 10 at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET.
