Anthony Anderson Reveals He’d ‘Love’ To Host The Oscars After Chris Rock Turned It Down

The 2023 Academy Awards ceremonial volition person plentifulness of fans tuning into spot if immoderate play goes down similar astatine past year’s lawsuit wherever Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. With each the publicity surrounding adjacent year’s show, Oscar officials volition beryllium definite to pat a suitable emcee to steer the vessel smoothly. After Rock revealed he turned down an offer for the job, different imaginable host, Anthony Anderson, spoke EXCLUSIVELY with HollywoodLife astir the anticipation of taking implicit the reins.

Anthony Anderson spoke astir the anticipation of hosting the 2023 Oscars. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

“It’s a gig that I would emotion to take,” the Blackish star said connected the reddish carpet of the D23 Expo on Friday (September 9) successful Anaheim, CA. “Whether they travel to maine and connection it to me, oregon inquire maine to beryllium a portion of the conversation, that is yet to beryllium seen. But I would emotion to bash that.”

While Anderson has yet to measurement into the relation of Oscar emcee, helium has had a spot of practice. Back successful 2017, helium took implicit hosting a unrecorded post-Oscars peculiar for ABC, which had antecedently been filled for 10 years with a conception by Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel had been moved up to the big of that year’s Academy Awards.

Speculation astir having Rock pb the 2023 Oscars began to simmer soon aft the slap heard ’round the world unfolded connected stage. Having hosted successful some 2016 and 2005, Chris seemed similar a earthy choice, particularly with the immense spotlight connected him pursuing the incident. Even ABC’s President of Entertainment Craig Erwich mentioned the thought of Chris returning for a 3rd hosting gig backmost successful May, per Deadline. However, during a standup regular successful Phoenix astatine the extremity of August, Rock told the assemblage helium turned down the authoritative offer.

Perhaps the Smith slap was inactive connected Rock’s caput erstwhile helium declined the position. It was rather a infinitesimal successful Oscar’s history, arsenic Rock was presenting an grant erstwhile helium made a gag astir Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting Smith to leap connected stage and slap Chris during the unrecorded broadcast. Despite the unprecedented spectacle, the amusement had a much affirmative historical moment: Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer were archetypal trio of women to big the amusement together.