Jimmy Kimmel finally landed his dream job — hosting the Oscars. But plagued by doubts that he will be a dud, like David Letterman, the last late-night TV talk show host to emcee Hollywood’s biggest night, he turns to Morgan Freeman for reassurance. But the velvet-toned Oscar champ (“Million Dollar Baby,” 2004) makes merry with his copy, much to Kimmel’s chagrin, as seen in the sassy promotional spot above.
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Kimmel only got this gig in December, leading to much speculation that he was not the first pick for rookie Oscar producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd. They only signed on in November, leaving little time for the preparation involved in putting together this mammoth production.
Kimmel did do an outstanding job as the host of the Emmy Awards in September. Like his show and the Oscars, that edition of TV’s top honors aired on ABC. He also emceed the Emmys back in 2012, the last time it was on ABC and presided over the network’s November ratings bonanza, the American Music Awards in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
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The alphabet network has long championed their late-night staple as a candidate for Oscar host. For the better part of the decade, he has hosted a special “After the Oscars” edition of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” immediately following the show from his set across Hollywood Boulevard, so now he gets to go inside the Dolby Theater.
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