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Ellen, meet Oscar
Posted 9/7/2006 10:37 PM ET
By Chris Pizzello, AP
Ellen DeGeneres will emcee the Oscars on Feb. 25, 2007.
From staff reports
USA TODAY
September 7, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/...res-host_x.htmPosted 9/7/2006 10:37 PM ET
Posted 9/7/2006 10:37 PM ET
By Chris Pizzello, AP
Ellen DeGeneres will emcee the Oscars on Feb. 25, 2007.
From staff reports
USA TODAY
September 7, 2006
Ellen DeGeneres is about to add another awards telecast to her résumé.
The comic and Emmy-winning talk-show host will preside over the Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. It will mark her first Oscar appearance. She has hosted the Emmys twice — the first time came days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards," said telecast producer Laura Ziskin. "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' response was characteristically comical: "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."
She has a tough act to follow. Last year's host, Jon Stewart, was praised for his debut performance, but even he couldn't boost ratings for Hollywood's biggest awards show. The 2006 telecast only brought in 38.8 million, the lowest since 2003. Industry experts pointed to the indie-dominated best-picture field, which failed to produce big bucks at the box office.
That last point isn't lost on Ziskin. "Ellen is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is lots of great movies."
The comic and Emmy-winning talk-show host will preside over the Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. It will mark her first Oscar appearance. She has hosted the Emmys twice — the first time came days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards," said telecast producer Laura Ziskin. "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' response was characteristically comical: "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."
She has a tough act to follow. Last year's host, Jon Stewart, was praised for his debut performance, but even he couldn't boost ratings for Hollywood's biggest awards show. The 2006 telecast only brought in 38.8 million, the lowest since 2003. Industry experts pointed to the indie-dominated best-picture field, which failed to produce big bucks at the box office.
That last point isn't lost on Ziskin. "Ellen is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is lots of great movies."
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