Jimmy Kimmel revealed that Barbie was a big factor in his decision to return as Oscars host.
The talk show host, 56, told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published on Tuesday, February 20, that he didn’t intend on returning for a fourth time until he saw the Greta Gerwig-directed hit.
“I am sitting in a movie theater watching Barbie and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’ll do this again, because at least I have a point of reference with everyone,’” Kimmel said.
Kimmel, who previously hosted the awards show in 2017, 2018 and 2023, wasn’t sure whether he would “ever” do it again. “I did two of them, and they went well — something crazy happened at one of them with a story I’ll have for the rest of my life,” he added in reference to La La Land being accidentally announced as the Best Picture winner instead of Moonlight at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Despite being “nervous” for his first round of Oscars hosting, Kimmel learned a lot from the experience. “I really rushed through my monologue. … But [afterward], I studied the tape and decided, ‘OK, I’m going to take my time with the monologue. I’m not going to race through it — if the show goes one minute long, I’m OK with that,’” he said.
While reflecting on why he returned to host in 2023, Kimmel said he was swayed by Top Gun: Maverick. “I knew there was a movie that people had seen, and it just makes the job easier,” he noted.
He continued: “It’s hard to yearn for it when you’re doing it. Wednesday night, I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through — I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars — and I was literally nodding off onto my computer. In those moments, I think, ‘I cannot wait until my contract is over.’ But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, ‘Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.’”
Leading up to this year’s awards, Kimmel teamed up for a hilarious promo featuring three of Barbie’s biggest stars: Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon.
In the clip, which premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this month and is narrated by Helen Mirren, Kimmel has no clue on how to get to the Academy Awards. With the help of McKinnon, 40, in her role as Weird Barbie, Kimmel eventually makes it to Oscarland.
Barbie is up for eight awards at this year’s Oscars ceremony, including Best Picture, but fans were surprised to see Gerwig, 40, left out of the running for Best Director. She scored a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay alongside her husband and cowriter, Noah Baumbach. Gosling, 43, and Ferrera, 39, earned recognition for their supporting performances, but lead actress Margot Robbie was not nominated.
The 96th annual Academy Awards will air on ABC Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m. ET.
