Last night, the Academy Awards announced the host of the 2018 Oscars—super-popular comedian and actor Kevin Hart. As reported in Variety (opens in new tab), John Bailey, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president, raved about the choice. No one is more excited than Hart, though, as evidenced by his Instagram.
In a long post, Hart said he'd been asked for years if he'd host the Oscars and "my answer was always the same...I said that it would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me as a comedian and that it will happen when it's suppose [sic] to."
He added that it had been a goal of his for a long time. "I am so happy to say that the day has finally come." He thanked his supporters and mentioned his late mom, who passed away in 2017. She'd be "smiling from ear to ear right now," he said.
Hart even hinted at what we might see this year. "I will be sure to make this years [sic] Oscars a special one," he said. "Now it's time to rise to the occasion."
Bailey said he was "very excited" and called Hart a "very kind of warm and loving and lovable person.” He intimated that Hart would bring the funny not just to his own performance but to the entire show.
“I think he’s going to surround himself with people who also are going to be appealing like him. I think some of the presenters and guests are going to be his friends.”
In 2017, Jimmy Kimmel made some progressive statements, addressing the elephant in the room about Harvey Weinstein and praising the women who were standing up against sexism. But he also made an unfunny quip about Mahershala Ali's new baby name (opens in new tab), and some of his bits fell very flat. There's a reason why he made the list of most awkward 2017 Oscars moments (opens in new tab)—more than once, in fact.
Here's hoping Hart brings his trademark style of screwball humor (opens in new tab) but pairs it with some serious talk about changing the industry.
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