Hugh Jackman, Chris Rock and Ellen DeGeneres aced at their Oscar monologues.
The night when all of Hollywood dresses up in their finest and gathers together to celebrate excellence in cinema is the biggest night for cinephiles all over the world. The three hour show of the Oscars celebrates cinema but also does a fine job of entertaining millions of viewers around the globe. To set the tone of the evening, the job of the host is the toughest and every year, the jokes they make and the punches they pull are critiqued by viewers everywhere.
At the 2018 Oscars, this job is held by Jimmy Kimmel. Here, we look at some of the opening monologues from over the years that have managed to stand the test of time and are just as enjoyable to watch even today.
1. Ellen DeGeneres – 2014
This was Ellen’s second time at hosting the Oscars and she was her charming self during the opening monologue. Ellen has been hosting The Ellen Show for over a decade now and has managed to become one of the most popular hosts all over the world. Her trademark sense of humour was seen throughout the show. This was also the ceremony where Ellen took the famous Oscar selfie.
2. Hugh Jackman – 2009
This was Hugh Jackman’s first time hosting at the Oscar and he did a marvelous job. He opens with a monologue and gradually moves towards an opening number honouring all the Best Picture nominations of the year. This opening number was quite surprising as Jackman managed to dance really well and be humourous at the same time.
3. Chris Rock – 2016
This was the year when the Academy faced major backlash for snubbing actors who were non-white and #OscarsSoWhite led to many showing their dissent against the Academy. Chris Rock was just the perfect host considering the politics that was going on in Hollywood at the time. Rock was politically incorrect and spoke of racism in Hollywood. But the way he presented it was sugar laced which must have made a lot of white people uncomfortable.
4. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin – 2010
Steve Martin established himself as a stand-up comic at the start of his career and this was his third time hosting the Oscars. Alec and Steve were completely in their comic element as they delivered the opening monologue. It starts with both of them making a grand entry and proceeds with them taking digs at the celebrities in the audience. Certainly entertaining!
5. Whoopi Goldberg – 1996
An EGOT winner, Whoopi has hosted the Oscars four times and the one in 1996 was her second time hosting. With an actor of this calibre, one is prepared for a night of smart remarks that come spontaneously and Goldberg delivered the same.
6. Billy Crystal – 1992
Billy Crystal has hosted the Academy Awards nine times but his opening at the 1992 Oscars deserves a special mention. It is said that at the time Billy was suffering from pneumonia but managed to put up a show that entertained everybody.
7. Jon Stewart – 2006
Jon Stewart’s opening monologue was preceded by a sketch that featured Halle Berry, George Clooney among many others. It was followed by Stewart’s signature humour and was certainly one of the best openings we have seen over the years.
8. Tom Cruise – 2002
Unlike the other Oscar opening monologues, this one had a sombre tone as it was post 9/11. He spoke about the magic of the movies and how at a time like that, America needed some magic and belief, even if it came from the movies.
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