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Neil Patrick Harris Said His Oscar Gig “Happened Very Randomly” and He Still Has a Lot of Questions About the Job

Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris found out about hosting the Oscars the same day we all did!

The best things happen when you least expect them! Neil Patrick Harris said during an interview on SiriusXM’s "Town Hall" series with Entertainment Weekly's Matt Bean that he wasn't expecting to land the gig as host of the 2015 Academy Awards so quickly.

Related: PHOTOS: Oscar hosts through the years

"[It] happened very randomly, at the end of last week — [that it] was maybe a possibility and to sort of think about it over the weekend and see what happens," Harris recalled of how he was only just in initial talks. "And then we [got the] call yesterday." Harris said he then had to come up with a "clever way to announce it," which he did by posting a video of himself crossing off "host the Oscars" on a bucket list.

Although he "has a lot of questions still about the job," the How I Met Your Mother star said he's excited he'll get to be hands-on.

Related: PHOTOS: 2014's Oscars

"The Oscars is such a gigantic show that I was interested to know how my involvement would play out," the former Emmys and Tony Award emcee explained. "It seems like with that many eyes and that big of a show there are a lot of people that have to say 'yes' before something gets approved. And as it turns out, that's not really the case." 

So what exactly does Harris want the Academy to say "yes" to? He isn't quite sure yet but he does know he'd like to include two of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Related: PHOTOS: NPH's adorable family

"I don't want them to be super derivative of other shows I've done. I don't want it to seem like I'm doing the same hosting gig as the Tonys," he shared, before adding, "I don't know if you say, 'I think I should do a thing with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,' then because it's the Oscars, do they say yes? We have talked about nothing but it'll be interesting to find out."

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