When it comes to the Oscars, the most glamourous day of the Hollywood year, the host is arguably the most prominent name.
With an audience full of the biggest names in the entirety of the entertainment industry, the host is who speaks the most, and can be a massive factor into whether the show is a great watch or a bit naff.
This year, though O'Brien received criticism for his opening skit inspired by The Substance, he has received a great deal of praise.
While many have become used to Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien will be taking on hosting duties this year, with Kimmel reportedly having turned it down.
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The host joked when asked about accepting the gig: “I only hosted so that I could be invited to the Oscars.”
Many will be wondering how much the comedian is being paid.
The exact figure hasn’t been released, but we can figure out how much he is taking home based on what previous stars have earned from the gig.
In 2013, The Hollywood Reporter did a piece on how much the Oscars costs to put on.
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Within this, they revealed that a host is likely to only get somewhere in the $15,000-$25,000 range.
With Seth MacFarlane having been tapped up to host that year, they said: “The responsibility of keeping the awards show entertaining and ending it on time goes to the host, and for shouldering that burden, first-time host Seth MacFarlane is paid above the $15,000 SAG-AFTRA minimum.”
Some of the other interesting tidbits from this reveal that the Oscar statues cost about $900 in gold each, security costs $250,000, and the set just under a million.
When discussing hosting, O’Brien joked at a press conference that he was the ‘most entertaining’ person producers had ever worked with.
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He went on to add: “It has been a really lovely experience.
“The Oscars team, they’re just incredible professionals. They know what they’re doing. They do beautiful work and it’s been a thrill for myself and for my head writer, Mike Sweeney, and also my lawyer as well.”
Discussing any advice he sought from previous hosts, he said: “I’ve spoken with Billy Crystal, who I think is the all-time great and mastered the hosting of the Oscars, in my opinion, defined it and will always be the top.”
O’Brien said that Jimmy Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney had reached out to give him advice, saying: “They’ve been very supportive and very helpful.
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“That’s nice because I came up in a very different era of late-night when not everybody was chummy and friendly, and you didn’t just pick up the phone.
"So this new era where people are so lovely to each other is something I don’t take for granted.”
Topics: Entertainment, Jimmy Kimmel, Oscars, TV and Film, Academy Awards, Celebrity
Michael Slavin