Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will team as hosts of the Oscars
Only this time, the musical routines are likely to involve a banjo.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that Steve Martin and “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin would serve as dual emcees of the 82nd annual Academy Awards, scheduled to be held March 7 at the Kodak Theatre.
In a year when the academy is expanding its best-picture nominees from five to 10 films, many expected that Oscar producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman would be contemplating ways to shake up the telecast, starting with the host. But the choice of the comedy stalwarts Martin and Baldwin hardly suggests a radical shift in the tenor from previous shows.
And though it’s become rare to have performers share hosting duties, it’s not unprecedented. In 1987, for example, Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan collectively ran the show.
Academy President Tom Sherak said that from the beginning they were looking for a two-person team: “The idea was to get two people who will work well together, and who will bring different things to the night.”
Martin, who has recently devoted himself to playing the banjo and touring with his bluegrass band, was an obvious candidate for the gig, given his experience hosting the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards.
He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, mostly recently with Tina Fey in February. He also has a history with Shankman, who has directed the comedian in both “Cheaper by the Dozen 2″ and “Bringing Down the House.”
Although this will be his first time hosting the Oscars, Baldwin is no stranger to the event either, having been nominated for a supporting actor Oscar in 2003 for his role in “The Cooler.” He was also a presenter that year.
In an interview Tuesday, Shankman said that Baldwin almost crashed his car when he asked him Monday if he wanted to host next year’s ceremony.
“He was stunned,” said Shankman, laughing.
Shankman said he had seen Baldwin host the Elle Women in Hollywood dinner last month, where the two-time Emmy winner made cracks such as, “Movie actresses are so skinny that if I had a love scene I would crush them.”
“I called Bill afterward and said, ‘You should see what I’ve been seeing,’ ” recalled Shankman.
“I don’t play the banjo, but I am thrilled to be hosting the Oscars,” Baldwin said in a statement. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Martin and Baldwin do know each other, having worked together on a 2008 episode of “30 Rock.” The two will also play rivals fighting for the affections of the same women ( Meryl Streep) in the upcoming Christmas release “It’s Complicated.”