This Sunday will be Neil Patrick Harris’ first time hosting the Oscars. Can you believe it? He’s practically hosted every other awards show (from the Tonys to the Emmys), but now he’s in the big leagues – among such iconic hosts as Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and…Donald Duck? Yep, that’s right. The animated cartoon character actually co-hosted the ceremony back in 1958. We’re just glad we weren’t alive to witness that. But we’ve witnessed our fair share of other hosts, from bad to good. Allow us to rank them for you.
10. Anne Hathway & James Franco (2011)
Everyone was left scratching their heads when this hosting duo was announced, and Anne and James didn’t do much to allay people’s concerns. Anne tried way too hard, and James just didn’t try enough, resulting in a disastrous show that likely solidified the notion that producers should stick to comedians for the job.
9. Hugh Jackman (2009)
Sorry, Jackman. You’re a lovely singer and dancer, but this ain’t the Tonys. It was too much Broadway flair and not enough jokes.
8. David Letterman (1995)
gifyoutube.comIt was the “Oprah, Uma” gag that did him in. It just went on for way too long, and Hollywood was not amused.
7. Seth MacFarlane (2013)
The Family Guy creator was an odd choice simply because we don’t see him in front of the camera much. He took risks with some edgier jokes (Such as: “[‘Django Unchained’] is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who’s been subjected to unthinkable violence. Or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie.”) and received a mixed response from critics.
6. Billy Crystal (1990 – 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012)
gifyoutube.comHe’s hosted a TON of times (9 to be exact), with varying degrees of success. The best part is whenever he inserts himself into the Oscar-nominated films. But when they brought him back to host the 2012 awards after Eddie Murphy dropped out, we sort of felt like he was the “safe” choice. He did play it safe, and in effect, the show was a bit boring.
5. Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002)
gifyoutube.comRemember when she appeared on stage in full Queen Elizabeth I regalia? She really went for it and nailed it.
4. Chris Rock (2005)
gifyoutube.comWhen he hosted, they had the telecast run on a 7-second delay – just in case. We know at least one person wasn’t a fan. After Chris made a joke about Jude Law, a humorless Sean Penn took the stage to criticize the comedian, calling Jude one of the industry’s “finest actors.” At least Chris stayed true to his own boisterous style.
3. Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin (2010)
gifyoutube.comOk, so the pairing may have just been because they had recently starred in a movie together (It’s Complicated), but these two proved to complement each other quite nicely. Steve is a veteran host and knows how to work the room, and Alec is just naturally funny. They’re no Tina and Amy, though…
2. Jon Stewart (2002, 2006)
gifyoutube.comThe things about Jon Stewart is that he’s smart. Very smart. He deftly balanced the political jokes with his hilarious insights on Hollywood and we were thoroughly entertained. Maybe now that he’s retiring from The Daily Show, it’ll free him up to host more awards shows.
1. Ellen DeGeneres (2007, 2014)
Nevermind the fact that she took that epic celebrity selfie, she brought PIZZA for everyone last year. Hands down the best.
Who was YOUR favorite Oscar host? Tell us on Twitter!
