Keeping a room full of industry peers entertained while entertaining millions of viewers at home is no small feat. But to earn a return invitation to an encore performance? That's a whole other level of star power.
Since the first Academy Awards in 1929, Hollywood's biggest night has featured an array of A-list hosts, experimenting with everything from solo acts to dynamic groups and even hostlessness. I did. Still, only a select few have appeared on the Oscar stage multiple times as host.
From Bob Hope's record-breaking 19 appearances to Jimmy Kimmel's recent hosting, here are the celebrities who have hosted Hollywood's biggest nights time and time again.
Bob Hope, 19 times
The British-American comedian and actor, known for his work with the legendary Bing Crosby, has hosted the Academy Awards 19 times, more than any previous host.
Hope first took the stage in 1940 at the 12th Academy Awards. He was respected for his jokes and witty one-liners and hosted the show's first televised event in 1953, in addition to its first color broadcast in 1966.
This icon passed away on July 27, 2003.
Number of years hosted: 1940-1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959-1962, 1965-1968, 1975, 1978.
Billy Crystal, Nine Times
Billy Crystal's big break on ABC comedy soap And in 1989 when harry met sallyhas hosted the Oscar Awards nine times.
“For me, a show needs a host. It needs a center,” Crystal told PEOPLE in 2021, before adding, “I had a lot of great memories hosting the show. It was the history of cinema,” he added.
The comedian, director and actor first took the stage at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990 and last hosted the 84th ceremony in 2012. Oscar again. )
Number of years hosted: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012
Johnny Carson, 5 times
Johnny Carson is no stranger to the hosting scene, most famously for his 30 years as a TV show host. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Carson, nicknamed the “King of Late Night,” hosted the Oscars five times before his death in 2005.
Carson first hosted the 51st Academy Awards in 1979. Carson returned to the stage in 1984 to host the 56th annual awards ceremony, serving as host for four consecutive years.
Number of years hosted: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984
Jack Lemmon, Four Times
Not only has the actor hosted the Oscars four times, he has also won twice, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. mr roberts Won Best Actor Award in 1955 save the tiger In 1973.
Jack Lemmon first hosted the show at the show's 30th anniversary in 1958, along with Rosalind Russell, James “Jimmy” Stewart, Hope, and Donald Duck. In 1972, he hosted again with Helen Hayes, Alan King, and Sammy Davis Jr. .
The actor first led the show alone in 1964 and last starred in it in 1985.
He passed away in 2001.
Number of years hosted: 1958, 1964, 1972, 1985
Jimmy Kimmel, 4 times
As of 2024, Kimmel will tonight show Chopped four times on the Oscar stage.
The actor, comedian, and host started his hosting career in 2017. After a brief hiatus, it successfully returned in 2023 with a memorable all-female host lineup featuring Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes. (Let's just say that the previous year's ceremony provided him with plenty of fodder for jokes.)
“I have always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” Kimmel said in a statement about his plans to host the 2024 Oscars for the fourth time.
Number of years hosted:2017, 2018, 2023, 2024
Jerry Lewis “Three Times”
Jerry Lewis, nicknamed the “King of Comedy,” hosted the Oscars three times, but the third time wasn't necessarily the “charm” for the actor, who passed away in 2017.
Lewis hosted the 28th and 29th Academy Awards consecutively, and his third and final time was at the 31st Academy Awards in 1959.
Last time, the ceremony infamously ended with the final awards being handed out ahead of schedule and the show ending 20 minutes early.
As the first host ever to experience this situation, Lewis used his improvisational skills to kill time, gathering actors on stage to sing “There's No Business Like Show Business.” It's a live broadcast for you!
Number of years hosted: 1956, 1957, 1959
David Niven “Three Times”
David Niven has hosted the Oscars ceremony three times, and each one was very memorable for different reasons.
After co-hosting the 30th Academy Awards in 1958 with Donald Duck, his appearances became even more prominent from there.
The British actor hosted the 31st Academy Awards in 1959, making history as the first (and only) person to win an Oscar in the same year. The star won the Best Actor award for his role in. separate table.
Although it was a monumental year for Niven, the 46th ceremony in 1974 was strange to say the least, as it was the year famed photographer Robert Opel graced the Oscar stage.
Niven passed away on July 29, 1983.
Number of years hosted: 1958, 1959, 1974
Steve Martin “Three Times”
Steve Martin, also an EGOT winner, has hosted the Oscar ceremony three times, opening the 92nd Academy Awards alongside Chris Rock in the year there was no host.
Martin held host honors for the 73rd and 75th ceremonies in 2001 and 2003, respectively. He served as solo host for his first two years and co-hosted the 82nd show with Alec Baldwin in 2010.
Number of years hosted: 2001, 2003, 2010
