Billy Crystal wants to return as Oscars host

By Alexandra Heilbron on August 16, 2011 | 9 Comments


Billy Crystal, who has hosted the Academy Awards eight times, says he wouldn’t mind returning to host a ninth time. Crystal hasn’t hosted since 2004, because he says  it requires a four to five-month commitment. “It got to be too much after a while and the sameness in my life,” Crystal told a fan who asked him about hosting the Oscars following a 20th anniversary screening of City Slickers in Santa Monica. “That’s why I pulled back. And then when I thought I might want to do it again, they were on to other people. It’s always fun. It’s really hard, but maybe one or two more times? I don’t know. They know where I am.” He added that he enjoyed presenting an award to honor Bob Hope at last year’s show, saying it made him “a little itchy” to return as a host. “I think the show needs to change. There’s too many awards and it has to sort of freshen itself up, and if I can be a part of that, that would be great.” [poll id=”304″]



Comments & Discussion

  1. shona • August 16, 2011 @ 1:01 PM

    PLEASE COME BACK!!!

  2. Germain • August 16, 2011 @ 1:23 PM

    There hasn’t been anyone close to Billy. I wish he would come back.

  3. C-Dub • August 16, 2011 @ 1:36 PM

    Totally agree. Nobody seemed as comfortable out there on that stage as Billy did. My next fav were Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. They played off each other very well in my opinion but truly crystal belongs as host.

  4. Ron Horner • August 17, 2011 @ 10:34 PM

    I would like to see “Whoopi Goldberg” do the show again but I do not think she wants to. It is great with her. She was the greatest host of all time, even beating out Billy Crystal!!!!!

  5. Amelita • August 17, 2011 @ 10:49 PM

    Next year’s Oscars with Billy Crystal as host would be a real gift to us Oscar devotees. No one does it better than Billy Crystal!!!

  6. jjjones • August 18, 2011 @ 8:45 AM

    I hope he does many more – he has been the best host of my generation. He definitely makes the show memorable.

  7. tammy • August 18, 2011 @ 4:00 PM

    He has my vote for sure. Love Billy Crystal so hilarious.

  8. TheTruth • August 19, 2011 @ 12:43 PM

    I agree with everyone’s above post, except for that Whoopi one 😀

  9. Lloyd • August 21, 2011 @ 11:29 PM

    Ricky Gervais.


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