Eddie Murphy accepts offer to host the 2012 Oscars

By Adam Rosenberg Published September 6, 2011

eddie-murphy — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here’s a quick news update on the weekend’s news that Eddie Murphy is being sought by 2012 Academy Awards ceremony producer Brett Ratner to host the event. Deadline is reporting now that Murphy is officially in, with the actor having officially given the gig a thumbs up.

It’s not quite as certain as an official press release perhaps, but Deadline is about as trusted a source as you can find in this game. Expect the night to be littered with cracks from Murphy about how he was snubbed in 2006 when he lost out on the Best Supporting Actor award for his Dreamgirls performance to Little Miss Sunshine‘s Alan Arkin.

“Nobody knows movies better or is a bigger cinephile than Eddie. Not Brett. Not even Quentin Tarantino. Eddie can quote scenes from every single movie word for word,” according to an “insider.” “He can bring all that experience to hosting. Plus he has Saturday Night Live experience before a live crowd. And worldwide the biggest crossover comedians are Will Smith and Eddie Murphy.”

Bravo to Murphy. What do you think of the hiring?

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Entertainment

Who is hosting the 2024 Oscars?

The Oscar statue on a black background.

This Sunday, March 10, the 96th Academy Awards will bring together the biggest stars in Hollywood to determine who will go home with the top prizes. Oppenheimer, Barbie, and eight other films are contending for Best Picture, and it's still too early to know which movies will dominate and which ones will come up short. It's also going to be interesting to see if this year's Oscar ceremony can finish on time, even with its early start. It's the job of the Oscars host to keep things moving, in addition to entertaining the crowd in the Dolby Theater and the millions of viewers who watch the event on TV.

Since the first Oscars ceremony in 1929, there have been over 70 hosts of the Academy Awards. Although the Academy attempted to have a few Oscars without hosts, the show tends to be better when it's run by someone who has done it before. And that's why this year's Oscar host is a three-time veteran.

Entertainment

5 great performances that were snubbed by the Oscars, ranked

Two women sit on an airplane in Bridesmaids.

Part of the pleasure of the Academy Awards is pointing out all the times they got it wrong over the years. Crash winning Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain in 2006, Judy Holliday winning over Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson in 1951 ... these are the moments that incite great debate and endless chatter.

But what about the performances and films that weren't even nominated? Oscar has shunned some pretty memorable performances over the years, and we've highlighted five particularly egregious examples of snubbing that can't go unnoticed.

Entertainment

9 strange facts about the Oscars you didn’t know

A man looks away in Oppenheimer.

The Academy Awards ceremony has been held since 1929, with the ceremony broadcast via radio for the first time in 1930. In 1953, the event was first televised and has been ever since. As the oldest of the major annual entertainment awards in America, the Academy Awards are a huge production. It's not just about the honor of being nominated -- earning an Academy Award can be career-changing.

You might think you know everything there is to know about the Oscars, but as you gear up for the 2024 Academy Awards, here are lesser-known interesting facts about its origins, past, and how things run behind the scenes that you'll find fascinating.