Eddie Murphy stepped down as host of the 84th Academy Awards on Wednesday, leaving the coveted gig up for grabs. Before his replacement is announced, Us Weekly wants to know — which hilarious star should fill in for the 50-year-old actor?
Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, 53, earned rave reviews when she hosted the show in 2007. The Seriously…I'm Kidding author brought a gentle charm to the biggest night in Hollywood, as she demonstrated during an impromptu photo shoot with Clint Eastwood for her Myspace page.
NBC's Jimmy Fallon, meanwhile, has plenty of hosting experience under his belt. He emceed the MTV Movie Awards twice (in 2001 and 2005) and worked with Academy Awards producer Don Mischer during the Emmys in 2010.
More than 3,000 people are campaigning for The Muppets to host the Oscars in 2012, according to the Twitter account @MuppetOscars. Though it would an unusual choice, it's not entirely implausible: Kermit the Frog performed "The Rainbow Connection" in 1980 — the same year Miss Piggy appeared as a guest host with Johnny Carson.
Another excellent choice would be Melissa McCarthy, the 41-year-old funnywoman who stole the show in last spring's Bridesmaids. Though the Mike & Molly star has never emceed an awards show, she helped boost Saturday Night Live's ratings when she hosted the show on October 1.
Tell Us: Who should replace Eddie Murphy as host of the Academy Awards?
