Hosting theAcademy Awardsceremony is like jury duty for celebrities — it’s long, tedious, and brings an unwarranted amount of pressure. Cited as a thankless task, Oscar-hosting is frequently designated to a recurring face, going all the way back toBob Hope’s reign from the ’40s through the ’60s andBilly Crystal’s run in the ’90s and 2000s. This helps lend the telecast a comforting familiarity, but also because most rookies are understandably weary of the level of scrutiny that comes with this gig. After four years of respectable but ultimately unmemorable hosting jobs byJimmy Kimmel, first-time hostConan O’Brien, based on his off-kilter brand of live-wire comedy, is sure toleave a mark this Sunday.As of now, on the cusp of the 97th Academy Awards, the high-water mark of Oscar hosting belongs to another one-time host,Hugh Jackman, whobrought a level of bravado and theatricality that the movie business at large demands.
Hugh Jackman Was a Necessary Shake-Up For the Oscars
It’s been a while since hosting the Oscars felt like a cultural touchstone, so much so that the Academy chose to forgo hosting duties for three years.Similar to today, in 2009, the Oscars weredue for a major shakeup. Between Crystal’s parody-song-filled monologues across eight ceremonies andJon Stewart’s wry deliveries for an additional two, someone needed to ignite the stage with a grand spectacle and a genuine love for the movies. We like to think the industry is on the brink of destruction at all times, but in the late 2000s, coming off a writers' strike and the dawn of corporate consolidation of franchise entertainment, movies were in a vulnerable state (as was seemingly everything in America amid the Recession), which extended to the relevance of the Oscars as an institution.
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To their credit, the Academy went outside the box and hired Hugh Jackman, Wolverine himself, to capitalize on his song-and-dance roots at the 81st Academy Awards on June 29, 2025, whereSlumdog Millionairewas crowned the honor of Best Picture.With his show-stopping monologue straight out of a Broadway musical, Jackman proved to be the Platonic ideal for an Oscar host. As the star of a prolific and popular franchise and a prestigious actor who canlead dramas likeThe PrestigeandAustraliaand rom-coms likeKate & Leopold, Jackman is a real presence in film culture, more so than the average late-night host. As a peer of the nominees, which on that night included winnersSean PennandKate Winslet, Jackman’s ribbing of them went over well, especially since he was quick to make self-deprecating remarks.
Hugh Jackman Brought a Showbiz Flair and Love of the Movies as Host of the Oscars
A host’s legacy is defined by their opening monologue. Where most keep things simple and deliver a glorified roast session of the nominees and dabble in a few remarks about current events,Jackmanwent fullGreatest Showmanmodeand brought the house down, with everyone in attendance applauding and on their feet after he hit his final note. Accompanied by rotating scenery, he performed musical numbers for the notable films of 2008, including the controversially snubbedThe Dark KnightandThe Wrestler. Like Crystal, Jackman engaged with his audience of stars and integrated them into the show, headlined by the ceremony’s viral moment where he sang with and embraced his futureLes Misérablesco-starAnne Hathaway.
“Let’s make it a good time inside the theater again,” producerBill Condonsaid in aVultureoral historyfor the 2009 ceremony. Recognizing the precarious state of American culture and the staleness of the traditional Oscar monologue, producers and writers vowed to enhance the spectacle of Oscar night. The dazzling opener makes the notoriously underwhelming Best Picture lineup (the following year, the Oscars expanded the BP pool to 10 nominees as a response to populist snubs) seem like a canon of American classics. While he does throw jabs atThe Readerforbeing dull Oscar-baitand preaches to the consensus sentiment aboutThe Dark Knight’s snubbing,his number evokes a sincere admiration for the art of movies. As hokey as it sounds, enforcing the passion and wonder of filmmaking is more crucial than ever considering its shaky place in mainstream culture. Jackman’s earnestness puts the glib, dismissive comedy of most hosts to shame.
Following his incredible but, unfortunately, sole hosting performance, Hugh Jackman’s stardom ascended to another level, showing mainstream audiences that he wasmore than the Marvel mutant.It’s not unreasonable to suggest that this night established his career as a leading man in musicals such asLes MisérablesandThe Greatest Showman. Plucking an unlikely candidate in Jackman and elevating his stardomproved to be a worthy risk. Only time will tell how Conan O’Brien will do on movies' biggest night, but it’s unlikely he’ll reach the glamorous heights of Jackman. Despite all the complications surrounding hosting,the objective is straightforward: lean into the pomp and circumstance.It’s pop culture’s biggest night of the year, after all.
The Oscars
