Friday, 8 September 2006

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Ellen DeGeneres called to Oscar duty

The former Emmy host will get her first shot at the Academy Awards

She's been an Emmy winner and an Emmy host, but now TV talk-show queen Ellen DeGeneres is taking on the movies. DeGeneres will host the Oscars next February, her first time ever emceeing the telecast, the Motion Picture Academy has announced.

"When (Oscars producer) Laura Ziskin called, I was thrilled," DeGeneres said in a statement. "There's two things I've always wanted to do in my life. One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day's diary entry."

The 79th annual Academy Awards air live on ABC Feb. 25, 2007, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

This will also mark Ellen's first-ever Oscar appearance, despite the fact that she's racked up a handful of movie credits, including Finding Nemo (as the voice of Dory) and EdTV. But her ability to handle an awards-show audience is already well-established, thanks to her delicate balance of comedy and heart while hosting the Emmy Awards in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards," Ziskin said in a press release. "There is no more challenging hosting job in show business. It requires someone who can keep the show alive and fresh and moving, as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer. Ellen completely fits the bill."

DeGeneres follows in the footsteps of such previous Oscar hosts as Billy Crystal, Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and this year's emcee, Jon Stewart.