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Comments (0)He’s back!
After Eddie Murphy backed out recently because of the Brett Ratner controversy, the great Billy Crystal will return as emcee of the upcoming Academy Awards telecast. (To be honest with you, we were never sure EdMurph was the right man for the job.)
The 63-year-old actor/comedian/author has hosted the show eight times in the past. “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up prescriptions,” Billy tweeted. “Looking forward to the show.”
Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, called Crystal “a comic legend and Oscar icon. I’m thrilled to welcome Billy back to the Oscar stage.”
The announcement came after producer Ratner used a gay slur at a screening of his new movie “Tower Heist,” which stars Murphy. He resigned from the Oscars a day later and Murphy – who’d been lured by Ratner to host the telecast—followed Ratner out the door. The academy hired producer Brian Grazer to replace Ratner, and Grazer hired Billy.
“Like so many others, I’ve been eager to see Billy host again,” Grazer said. “It’s very gratifying that he agreed to do it with co-producer Don Mischer and me at the helm.”
Billy last hosted the show in ‘04. The Oscars telecast will air on Feb. 26, 2012.