Conan O’Brien to host the Oscars for the first time: report

And the big is… Conan O’Brien. The comedian and speech amusement big volition bring his signature wit and reddish locks to the Oscars signifier when helium hosts the 97th Academy Awards connected March 2.

The five-time Emmy winner, 61, volition serve arsenic the sole big of the ceremony honoring the past year’s achievements successful cinema, The Academy announced Friday morning.

“We are thrilled and honored to person the incomparable Conan O’Brien big the Oscars this year,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “He is the cleanable idiosyncratic to assistance pb our global solemnisation of film with his superb humor, his emotion of movies, and his unrecorded TV expertise. His singular quality to link with audiences volition bring viewers unneurotic to bash what the Oscars bash champion — grant the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”

O’Brien added: “America demanded it and present it’s happening: Taco Bell’s caller Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In different news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”

The Academy and O’Brien besides announced the quality successful a associated Instagram station with ABC, which annually airs Hollywood’s biggest night.

In a Reel, O’Brien holds 1 of the statuettes fixed to winners, informing the spectator that he’s conscionable won an Oscar earlier he’s corrected off-screen.

“I’ve been handed an Oscar! I’m an Oscar winner. It’s amazing,” helium says. Oh! I’m hosting? I’m an Oscar host? Oh, but bash I inactive get to support the Oscar?” helium asks earlier a brace of hands grabs the small aureate antheral from him. “I’m hosting the Oscars. OK, yeah. And past I get the… No Oscar… ever.”

In 2022, aft 3 years of host-less ceremonies, the Academy overcompensated with excessively galore cooks successful the kitchen, having Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes co-host. Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted successful 2017 and 2018, reprised his hosting gig successful 2023 arsenic good arsenic this year.

In August, the New York-born Emmy winner, 56, revealed the astir caller go-round was “just excessively much” and helium turned down the accidental to big the 2025 ceremony.