Almost everyone sees hosting the Academy Awards as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the high-profile gig isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. In 2024, the Academy approached comedian John Mulaney (Big Mouth, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Chip’ n Dale: Rescue Rangers) about hosting the annual Oscars celebration of Hollywood excellence. However, Mulaney declined, and now he’s opening up about why.
Speaking with Marc Maron for the fellow comedian’s WTF podcast, Mulaney told Maron why he decided not to host the 2024 Academy Awards, saying, “Well, I was very flattered. They came to me, must have been last summer. And I knew Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t gonna do it. And they offered it,” Mulaney said. “And it was honestly that I had a lot going on. And it’s months and months of work.”
Ultimately, Conan O’Brien hosted the 97th Academy Awards. Mulaney thinks the seasoned podcaster, late-night host, and comedian did a bang-up job, saying, “He came out and he not only was so funny, but he elevated the show to the point that I almost convinced myself I had seen these movies and I’d seen not a one of them,” he joked. Maron agreed with Mulaney, adding that O’Brien “just locked in and owned the fucking thing.”
Changing topics, Mulaney commented on his recent Netflix talk show gig, Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney. While Mulaney appears to enjoy the work, he doesn’t sound as enthusiastic about the show’s demanding filming schedule. “There was a plan to do more,” Mulaney explained to Maron. “We’re figuring it out. It’s been very enjoyable.” However, Mulaney notes that he “really felt the 12 weeks in a row” of filming the show.
“It was more than just that we got to try a lot of bits and jokes and have guests on,” he said about making the Netflix talk show. “We just got to try whole episodes where it felt very shoestring and episodes where we were blowing it out production-wise.”
Should the Academy approach John Mulaney about hosting the Oscars in the future? Was Conan O’Brien an excellent choice in Mulaney’s stead? Would you watch another season of Mulaney’s talk show? Let us know in the comments section below.
