Conan O’Brien Set To Host 97th Oscars

Pete Hammond
·4-min read

It is official. The 97th Oscars have a host, and his name is Conan O’Brien.

The Emmy-winning television host, writer, producer and comedian and now podcaster will be the sole host for the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang announced today. It will be O’Brien’s first time hosting the broadcast.

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“We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year,” said Kramer and Yang. “He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best — honor the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”

Said O’Brien: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”

O’Brien’s selection is a bit of a surprise since his name hadn’t been prominently mentioned as a possible Oscar host this year. Recent speculation and word from reliable sources indicated the Academy was leaning toward a format with multiple hosts sharing duties throughout the show. This was floated after both Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted four times including the Emmy winning 96th Oscar show, and John Mulaney, who had hosted the non-televised Governors Awards to much praise, both reportedly turned down the gig. A combo of Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman was also among those buzzed to be in the mix, but as I reported last week, Reynolds told me that was highly unlikely though he said he would like to host it with Jackman “someday.”

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Oscar statues
Oscar statues

O’Brien, of course, is well known and liked as a talk show host. Although he has never hosted the Oscars, he did host the Emmys to good notices in 2002 and 2006 and The MTV Movie Awards in 2014.

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He also knows how to liven up these shows even when not hosting. He went viral for his antics at the 2021 Emmys, where he was nominated for Outstanding Variety Talk Series. Though he didn’t win, he managed to get more attention than actual winner John Oliver.

That appearance might give a clue to his off-the-cuff comic style during a live awards show. You probably can count on the kind of clever filmed opening bits he did on the Emmy shows he hosted to kick things off on Oscar Night.

O’Brien also isn’t known for political humor like Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jon Stewart, who have all taken on hosting duties for high-profile awards shows. One source with inside knowledge of the discussions told me they wanted to steer clear of that, especially this year with Donald Trump back in the White House. It is apparent with this choice that the Academy and ABC favor the traditional sole comedian host at the helm, and O’Brien more than fills the bill.

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“Conan is a pre-eminent comedic voice, whose decades-long success is marked by his distinctive humor and perspective,” said Craig Erwich, President of Disney Television Group. “He joins an iconic roster of comedy greats who have served in this role, and we are so lucky to have him center stage for the Oscars.”

Said Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan: “Conan has all the qualities of a great Oscars host — he is incredibly witty, charismatic and funny and has proven himself to be a master of live event television. We are so looking forward to working with him to deliver a fresh, exciting and celebratory show for Hollywood’s biggest night.”

O’Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan. Before his two-decade-plus hosting career, he served as a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. O’Brien currently hosts the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and starred in the 2024 travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go. He has won five Primetime Emmys and earned 31 nominations for his work.

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The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC beginning at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT and in more than 200 territories worldwide, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

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