It has been a traumatic year for Hollywood. Not only have more and more people been deflecting to television, which has seen box office numbers dwindle, but the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and others of its ilk, have left many utterly depressed.
Clearly Hollywood is in need of hearing some home truths. Jimmy Kimmel is the man that is tasked with this job in March, 2018, as he was confirmed as the emcee for the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony back in May.
But while Kimmel is a top notch choice, especially after his efforts back in February when the Best Picture debacle threatened to derail the entire evening, plenty of people have been pining for Ricky Gervais to host the Oscars ever since he first oversaw the Golden Globes in 2010.
I recently had the chance to talk to Ricky Gervais ahead of his performance of Humanity at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. During our discussion I asked the British comedian whether he would ever host the Academy Awards, and Gervais admitted that even though he is keen to do so he just doesn’t think the Academy would let him.
“I have always said I would do the Oscars. But they would never give me free reign. When I did the Golden Globes I asked, ‘Can I say what I want?’ The Oscars would never say that. Why would the Oscars ever say that? They take themselves too seriously. I’d never do it unless I could say what I wanted, and they’d never let me say what I want. I think I’ll never get asked to do the Oscars. If they went, ‘You can do it, but here are the rules.’ I’d go, ‘No, there aren’t rules.’
We’ll get to see what Jimmy Kimmel can muster up when the 90th Academy Awards takes place on March 4th, 2018.
