Sexiest Man Alive Hugh Jackman has been picked to host the 2009 Academy Awards. Read the rest of the story and see photos and video of Hugh Jackman below.
Hugh Jackman hosting the Academy Awards
Hugh Jackman, recently named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine, has been tapped to host the 2009 Academy Awards, set to air on February 22.
This marks a big step in a different direction for the upcoming Oscars telecast. The previous hosts, at least in recent history, have been comedians - John Stewart, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi, Steve Martin and David Letterman have all hosted since the 1990s. Despite the laundry list of A-List funnymen (and women), the Oscars have seen a steady decline in viewership. The switch signals a desire by the Oscars producers to turn the program into more of a party rather than the bore fest it usually is. Producer Larry Mark said:
“In keeping with the thinking that the event needs to be more like a party, we’re trying to make it very much like a party. The Oscars are a celebration of movies, so who better to host than a movie star. Hugh can not only hold the screen, but he can hold the stage too, which is no small feat these days.”
On the type of feel they are going for with the upcoming production, Mark said:
“We’re going for the contemporary feel that you’d have at the Cocoanut Grove or the Stork Club, where everyone is encouraged to have a good time. If this were the old days, we’d be asking Cary Grant or Clark Gable to be the host. I think Hugh has a lot of those same qualities.”
Mark admits that people don’t tune into the Academy Awards for the host - they tune in for the awards themselves. However, he would like to get people to also focus on the show itself. Hugh Jackman certainly has practice getting people to focus on the show rather than the awards. He previously hosted the Tony awards, which he won an Emmy for.
More photos and a video of Hugh Jackman are below.
Hugh Jackman Photos
Hugh Jackman Tony Awards Video
Photos: WENN