The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the US has announced that Neil Patrick Harris will host the 87th edition of the Oscar Awards. This will be Harris’ debut in hosting the ceremony.
The show will air live in India on Star Movies on 23 February 2015. In the US it will air on ABC. Show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said, “We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars. We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage.”
Harris said, “It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year’s Academy Awards. I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true.”
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said, “We share Craig and Neil’s excitement in welcoming the incredibly talented Neil Patrick Harris. He is the consummate entertainer. Neil’s distinctive charm and showmanship make him the ideal host to honor the Oscar legacy and ensure we all enjoy another unforgettable celebration.”
Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said, “Neil is a terrific actor, singer, risk-taker and collaborator. We can’t wait to see the show that he and Craig and Neil create together.”
Harris can currently be seen starring opposite Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike in David Fincher’s film ‘Gone Girl’. Harris garnered multiple Emmy and Golden Globe award nominations for his role as Barney Stinson on the television series, ‘How I Met Your Mother’, and he won an Emmy for his guest-starring role on ‘Glee’ in 2010.
On stage he recently starred in the title role of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ on Broadway, earning the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Harris served as host of the 61st and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as the 63rd, 65th, 66th and 67th Tony Awards, for which he won four Emmys.
The 86th Oscars was TV’s most-watched entertainment event in 10 years and attracted the biggest viewership since 2000, with more than 45 million viewers. The show resulted in dramatic gains in younger demographics and social media conversation, with more than one billion impressions generated on Twitter and 25 million interactions happening on Facebook on Oscar Sunday. Additionally, the star-studded “selfie” became the most re-tweeted photo of all time with 32.8 million views.
