Jimmy Kimmel promises humor and respect (except for Matt Damon) at Oscars
LOS ANGELES — Jimmy Kimmel has hosted plenty of awards shows, but his upcoming Oscars assignment is in a class by itself.
“When you look at the list of people who have been asked to do it, it makes you feel pretty good," the host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (weeknights, 11:35 p.m. ET/PT) told USA TODAY after the taping of Tuesday’s show. "Comedy is not like sports in that you can win the Super Bowl or be MVP of a league, so to be asked to do the Oscars is definitely something I’m sure I’ll tell my grandchildren about on an endless loop.”
That said, the Feb. 26 Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place just across Hollywood Boulevard from his late-night program, is a bit of a squeeze coming a few months after his critically praised Emmy hosting gig in September. “It’s like running a second marathon after you just finished one.”
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It’s too early to reveal specifics about his hosting plans and Kimmel is reluctant to give away any surprises. He won’t know the nominees for the film awards until Tuesday’s nominations announcement.
“I don’t want to ruin anything, but I don’t really know what I’m going to do yet. I’m still in the weighing-out-100-ideas phase and seeing if the ideas are practical. I like to incorporate other people so sometimes it depends on whether those people will play ball or not or even if they’re interested,” he says.
It's possible he could include a signature bit from Jimmy Kimmel Live, such as Mean Tweets or Lie Witness News, but "one of the things you want to be careful about is not (to do) your show and remember it's their show," he says.
After seeing Meryl Streep criticize President-elect Donald Trump without naming him during her recent Golden Globes speech, Kimmel says he expects there will be some political commentary during the awards ceremony. “I would be surprised if that doesn’t play some role in the show.”
Kimmel, who joked about Trump’s lack of A-list performers for his inauguration during Tuesday’s monologue, acknowledges that the president-elect is a frequent topic in the news and in comedy.
“You sit down for dinner and that is the subject that inevitably comes up,” he says. “I’m sure it will rear its head somehow in the Oscars broadcast.”
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As for planning, “I’m going to wait to see what people are talking about that week, because the news changes so quickly every single night now. You never know what lunacy might present itself.”
Kimmel, who was announced as host in December, enjoyed Jimmy Fallon’s Globes hosting performance, but felt sympathy for his fellow late-night host when Fallon's teleprompter didn't work.
“I got as upset as if my teleprompter broke. They have one job, to make sure that the teleprompter is on. That should never happen to anyone,” he says.
Kimmel, who has hosted the Emmys twice and the American Music Awards five times, doesn’t feel like his comedy will be restricted by the rarefied air of the Academy Awards.
“I think I have a pretty good sense this is not the Comedy Central Roast. That’s not to say I won’t be making fun of people and things. I will but I do recognize for a lot of people this is the biggest night of their professional lives and the last thing I want to do is ruin it for someone,” he says.
Even Matt Damon, the producer of potential nominee Manchester by the Sea and a longtime Kimmel faux foe? “Except for him. I would very much like to ruin the night for him,” Kimmel says. “I still don’t believe he had anything to do with that movie. It’s too good.”
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Kimmel will seek the advice of others who have hosted the Oscars, including Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris and Seth MacFarlane. Some have reached out to him.
“It’s interesting how generous everyone is. I feel like I relate to it because whenever somebody is tapped to host the Emmys, if I know that person, I feel like I need to offer them whatever help they might want, because there is a lot you learn each time,” he says. “For me, the second time hosting an awards show is always better than the first time.”