The Oscars: Only one choice to host awards: Chris Rock

Oct. 22, 2015 3 AM PT

Shortly after they were officially hired to produce the 88th Academy Awards ceremony, David Hill and Reginald Hudlin met to discuss what’s inevitably the biggest and most difficult decision: Who’s going to host?

One name and one name only came to mind. And lucky for them, Chris Rock decided to accept a job that many have turned down over the years.

“He was our first and only choice,” says Hudlin, on a break from shooting the upcoming CBS comedy “Angel From Hell.” “From the minute we sat down together, it was, ‘We want Chris.’ And not just for his incredible sense of humor, but the intelligence behind it. That’s what’s really required of the job, a guy who understands every aspect of the movie business and has the ability to be razor-sharp funny, right in the moment.”

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Rock’s second stint as host had been predicted as a strong possibility since the film academy hired Hudlin and Hill to produce the show. Hudlin worked with Rock previously, directing the pilot episode of Rock’s TV show “Everybody Hates Chris” and the 1992 film comedy “Boomerang.” Hudlin also produced the academy’s Governors Awards last year, where Rock was on hand to pay tribute to Harry Belafonte.

The academy will hope that Rock can deliver better reviews and, more important, higher ratings than this year’s show. The 2015 telecast’s audience dropped nearly 15% from the previous year, with host Neil Patrick Harris struggling through a sluggishly paced evening. In 2014, the Ellen DeGeneres-hosted show, with its star-studded selfie that temporarily disabled Twitter and other interactive skits and bits, drew an average of nearly 44 million viewers.

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Christopher Julius “Chris” Rock III has been called one of the greatest stand-up comics. He’s also a producer, director, writer and actor. Let’s look at career highlights. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

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Another seminal moment was when Rock joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” Here, he and castmate Chris Farley are announced as part of the cast at a Sept. 19, 1990, press conference. (Richard Drew / Associated Press)

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Rock starred in his first HBO comedy special in 1994, then in 1996 did “Bring the Pain,” which garnered him two Emmy Awards and gained large critical acclaim. (Bob Carey / Los Angeles Times)

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Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2005. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Rock’s previous stint as Oscar host produced a wide range of reactions, with USA Today crowning him “one of the worst hosts ever,” while Roger Ebert praised a “home run” opening monologue that was “surprisingly pointed, topical, and not shy of controversy.”

“Humor as ever is subjective,” Hill notes. “It’s like figure skating.”

When Rock last hosted the Oscars, he made history of a sort. It was the first time an Oscar presenter felt the need to issue a rebuttal of the host’s monologue.

Rock had made a running joke about actor Jude Law’s then-ubiquitous presence in Hollywood. “Who is Jude Law?” Rock asked. “Why is he in every movie I have seen in the last four years? Even if he’s not acting in it, if you look at the credits he makes the cupcakes or something.”

Later in the ceremony, Sean Penn, presenting the lead actress Oscar, felt compelled to defend Law. “Forgive my lack of humor,” he harrumphed. “Jude Law is one of our most talented actors.”

Safe to say then that Penn wasn’t consulted on bringing Rock back?

“I’m positive now that if you checked with Mr. Penn, he would have realized that Chris was making a very droll joke about Jude Law,” Hill says.

The divisiveness illustrates the no-win nature of the hosting job. The rigid format — 24 award categories, 24 speeches, 24 opportunities for long-winded winners to be played off the stage — limits a host’s ability to affect and shape the show.

It’s widely regarded as one of the toughest gigs in Hollywood.

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After hosting the 2016 Emmys, Jimmy Kimmel will make his debut as host of the 2017 Academy Awards. In addition to his previous awards show experience, Kimmel has hosted the annual “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars” special for years.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; ABC ; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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In his second time hosting, Chris Rock addressed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during the telecast of the 88th Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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After multiple stints hosting the Tonys and the Emmys, Neil Patrick Harris was a natural choice to lead the festivities at the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ellen DeGeneres broke a Twitter record with her star-studded selfie as emcee of the 2014 Academy Awards and won the hearts of hungry actors with freshly delivered pizza. DeGeneres scored with audiences as host in 2007 (above right) with her crowd work as well. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (Robert Gauthier, Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Though Seth MacFarlane was widely criticized for his 2013 Oscars hosting debut, the awards show saw its best ratings in years with “Family Guy’s” creator at the helm. According to Nielsen, an average of 40.3 million viewers tuned in to hear MacFarlane bash a slew of Hollywood’s A-list. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Considered one of the best of the contemporary comedic hosts, Crystal began his Oscar run with the 62nd telecast in 1990 and remained on the job through 1993. Also add 1997, 1998, 2000 (above left), 2004 and most recently 2012 (above right) to the list. (Bob D’Amico / ABC; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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In an effort to boost viewership in young demographics, the producers of the 83rd Academy Awards tapped hot “of the moment” actors Hathaway and Franco as hosts for the 2011 ceremony. Many critics felt the hosts didn’t have much chemistry. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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When Martin teamed with his “It’s Complicated” costar Alec Baldwin to co-host 2010’s ceremony, it was his third Oscar hosting appearance. He made his solo debut with the 73rd award show in 2001 and returned to the job in 2003. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Hugh Jackman’s song-and-dance number at the opening of the 81st Academy Awards in 2009 drew barbs from TV critics. The Times’ Mary McNamara said of the performance: “Somewhere in New York, a huge weight has been lifted from David Letterman’s shoulders.” (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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The “Daily Show” host brought his outsider perspective into the heart of Hollywood for his stint as Oscar host in 2006. He poked fun at the awards-cast itself, which generally played better at home than it did in the theater. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and raised many eyebrows with his pointed barbs directed at the assembled celebrities. Years later, Ricky Gervais adopted this tone to great effect at the Golden Globes. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Goldberg, the first African American to win the supporting actress Oscar since Hattie McDaniel won in the category in 1940 for “Gone With the Wind,” began her stint as host with the 66th award ceremony in 1994. She returned in 1996, 1999 (shown in a Queen Elizabeth costume) and 2002. (Timothy White / ABC and AMPAS; Los Angeles Times)

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The “Tonight Show” legend moonlighted as Oscar host beginning with the 51st ceremony in 1979; he went on to host the show four more times. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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The outrageous funnyman co-hosted the 28th Academy Awards in 1956 in L.A., while Claudette Colbert and writer-director Joseph Mankiewicz hosted a satellite ceremony in New York. He revisited the role in 1957. Lewis and his wife, SanDee, above, pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983. (Larry Armstrong / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s such a thankless job,” comedian Sarah Silverman told The Times, adding that she’s surprised Rock agreed to host. “Steve Martin did so well that one year. And he told me he had so much fun — until he made the mistake the next day of looking at what people had to say.”

There is evidence that Rock has honed his skills since last hosting the Oscars, in 2005. Last year, with his acclaimed comedy “Top Five” arriving in theaters just as awards were starting to be handed out in earnest, the 50-year-old comedian made the rounds on the trophy dinner circuit.

Rock rarely disappointed during his time onstage, lampooning the season’s empty rituals and rampant self-importance. Hoisting his own prize at the vacuous Hollywood Film Awards, Rock emoted, “All my life, I’ve dreamt of getting one of these, like everyone else in the room. I can’t believe this day has come!”

Then there was his Governors Awards appearance, honoring Belafonte.

Rock killed it in his brief remarks, giving a shout-out to academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (“It’s nice to see a black president that America still likes”) and, noting Belafonte’s efforts in voter registration during the civil rights era, adding a topical zinger, “Thank God no one’s trying to stop people from voting now!”

Rock also appeared in January at the National Board of Review dinner, where he mocked producer Scott Rudin and some of the evening’s self-important speeches.

Said Rock: “They all say, ‘We made something that was more than an animated movie.’ No, you ... didn’t. I did ‘Madagascar.’ I cashed a check and got the ... out of there.”

Rock’s hiring continues the academy’s push toward diversity. Earlier this year, the group invited 322 people to join, its largest class ever, with more than 23% of the newcomers being people of color and more than 28% being women. The academy hired a black producer (Hudlin) for its show and will honor Spike Lee at the Governors Awards next month.

Twitter: @glennwhipp

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