Hosting the next Academy Awards ceremony will be a double-bill co-starring Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, Oscar producers announced yesterday.
“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said telecast producer Bill Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”
The New York Times think Martin “the versatile comic” will be the perfect foil for Baldwin, “the straight man who sometimes reaches for a laugh.”
Steve responded, “I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin.”
“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.
Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint. He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, most recently at the ceremony in February when he appeared with Tina Fey.
Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in “The Cooler.” That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show. Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on the comedy “30 Rock,” a role for which he has won two Emmys (in 2008 and 2009).
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
(Photo from Sky News Online, used via Fair Use copyright)