There will be no host at the 91st Academy Awards, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson told a fan on social media that he was offered the gig, but he had to turn it down because he is busy filming the sequel to 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
After a Twitter user suggested that Johnson, 46, would be a “great host for next year’s Oscars,” the Ballers alum provided some insight. “Ah mahalo dude, I was their first choice to host this year, and my goal was to make it the most fun and entertaining Oscars ever,” the semi-retired professional wrestler tweeted.
He added: “We all tried hard, but couldn’t make it work since I’m shooting Jumanji. Academy and I were super bummed but maybe one day down the road.”
Ah mahalo dude, I was their first choice to host this year, and my goal was to make it the most fun and entertaining Oscars ever. We all tried hard, but couldn’t make it work since I’m shooting Jumanji. Academy and I were super bummed but maybe one day down the road 🥃 https://t.co/eiiMuBNOzb
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 6, 2019
Johnson also replied to a second tweet about the job and said, “‘preciate the luv. There’s a few of us ol’ Hollywood dawgs that ain’t that bad,” seemingly referencing the scandal surrounding his Jumanji costar Kevin Hart, who was asked to host the 2019 Oscars after Johnson seemingly turned it down.
The Upside actor, 39, initially accepted the offer, but stepped down in December after homophobic tweets he wrote from July 2009 to January 2011 resurfaced. “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s,” he tweeted at the time. “This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”
Ellen DeGeneres eventually tried to get Hart to reconsider the role, but the Night School star refused.
