Why Steve Martin never wants to host the Oscars again: “Get me something thankless”
When it comes to hosting the Oscars, Planes, Trains and Automobiles icon Steve Martin is in rarified air.
There aren’t many people who have taken on hosting duties for the Academy more than Martn has. Bob Hope has hosted 19 times, and it looks like his record may hold firm for another 100 years. Talk show supremo Johnny Carson is third with five ceremonies, while Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Lemmon, and Jimmy Kimmel are all tied with four.
Martin still feels like a near-permanent fixture at the event, though. Having picked up more than a few spots while not technically hosting, it has always felt like Martin has one foot in the event. But if you were hoping he might once again become the main attraction for the annual movie moment, you’ll be sadly disappointed.
“I’ve hosted the Oscars three times,” he unexpectedly began his reply when speaking about his Only Murders in the Building co-star, Martin Short. “The first two times, I was very nervous. But I overcame it because I’m a professional. And then the third time, I hosted with Alec Baldwin, and I was not nervous at all. Looking back, I realised, ‘Oh, I had someone else out there with me.'” Working with Baldwin and Short reminded Martin of the simple joy in teaming with another comedic voice to nail the perfect joke or time the ideal bit.
So, with this in mind, it might stand to reason that Martin could be tempted to host the Oscars again if he were allowed to bring Short along for the ride. However, when that idea was floated, he shook his head and admitted there were several additional reasons why his Oscar days are behind him. “That represents so much work for us,” he confessed of the unseen process behind hosting. “When I hosted before, I started working months ahead of time.”
These days, with a successful TV show on the go, and Netflix stand-up specials in the offing, Martin simply has less time to devote to something like the Oscars – especially when it’s not exactly a lucrative gig. “They don’t pay,” he chuckled. “The Oscars should pay. When you consider the amount of work, it’s at least several months of mental churning.”
In the end, it doesn’t sound like Martin is in any hurry to return to the podium on that hallowed Oscars stage. It’s rare for someone in Hollywood to be so candid about something that is considered such an enormous honour, but his honesty about the reality of hosting is actually quite refreshing. To an established comedic legend like Martin, who is currently as in-demand as he’s ever been, it’s simply not worth the time and effort it takes to write, rehearse, and perform material for the ceremony, all without being paid a red cent.
Sadly, this lack of enthusiasm for the Academy means that audiences will likely never be treated to one of Martin’s best gags, which he didn’t have the guts to go through with on his previous hosting gigs. He’s always dreamed of coming out on stage to say, “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, ‘Steve, how did you get to host the Oscars?'” Then, after an expertly timed pause, he’d quip, “It was easy. I just called my agent and I said, ‘Get me something thankless.'” Savage.
