Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel criticized several Hollywood personalities at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, but not all of his digs were scripted.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live” comedian revealed that his grand finale, which took aim at former President Trump and his review of the ceremony, was not part of the Oscars plan. Kimmel told daytime co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos in a post-show interview that producers said he had extra time at the end of the show, after actor Al Pacino unexpectedly breezed by in the best picture category.
“I thought, 'I'm reading Trump's tweet,'” he recalled. “'And they say, 'No, no, don't read that.'”
Well, he did.
The comedian recited verbatim the first part of Trump's review of Truth Social at the Oscars: “Has there EVER been a WORSE PRESENTER than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars? His openness was that of a below average person trying too hard to be something he is not and can never be.”
The joke sparked laughter from the stars present, including Jodie Foster, who was caught on camera mid-laugh. Kimmel ended the ABC broadcast by thanking Trump for hearing him and joking, “Haven't you already spent your time in jail?”
Weeks before the Oscars, Kimmel told The Times: “I'm not always elegant and pristine.” His performance on Sunday reflected just that.
The late-night comedian tackled hot headlines, ranging from the Hollywood strikes to the Oscar-nominated power duo “Barbenheimer,” during his opening monologue as he returned for the fourth time to host the industry's biggest night. He also had his sights on “Oppenheimer” star and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr.
“This is the high point of Robert Downey Jr.'s long and illustrious career,” Kimmel said, “or one of the high points.”
The camera quickly panned to the three-time nominee, who has been open about his past struggles with drug addiction. Downey tapped his nose, to which Kimmel responded, “Is that too much on the nose? Or is it a drug motion he made?
In response to a disappointing joke from Kimmel about his body, Downey gestured for the comedian to finish the joke.
During his opening, Kimmel addressed “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig’s snub, delved into Sony’s “Madame Web” and highlighted “Anatomy of a Fall” dog actor Messi, who caused a stir in Hollywood publicity circles. the Oscars days before the ceremony. .
With more commentary on best picture nominee “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, Kimmel's monologue on Sunday was less direct than his opening of the 2023 ceremony. Last year he addressed the controversial slap of Oscar winner Will Smith during the 2022 show. “We want you to feel safe,” he joked last year, “and most importantly, we want me to feel safe.”
The veteran ABC host, whose tenure as Oscar host included that infamous best picture envelope debacle in 2017, concluded his monologue by addressing the months-long writers and actors strikes in 2023 that halted the production and promotion of film projects and television.
For months, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to address several pressing issues, including waste and the growing use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry. The writers' strike ended at the end of September 2023 and the actors' strike ended at the beginning of November.
“We can be proud of the fact that this long, difficult work stoppage taught us that this strange town of ours, as pretentious and superficial as it may be, is at heart a union town,” Kimmel said.
He added: “It's not just a bunch of Nepo babies heavily touched with Botox, drinking Hailey Bieber milkshakes… with perpetually shaking chihuahuas. This is a coalition of strong, hard-working, mentally strong American workers. “Women and men who would surely die if we had to touch the handle of a shovel.”
Crew workers then joined Kimmel on stage for the final moments of his monologue. As the Oscars audience rose to its feet, Kimmel vowed to show solidarity with workers at the bottom as they enter negotiations.
“We will also be with you,” he said.
Before the Academy Awards, Kimmel admitted to The Times: “I never thought I'd ever [host the Oscars] again.”
“I did two of them and they turned out well; one of them had something crazy happen with a story I'll have for the rest of my life,” he said in an interview published last month. “I know how much work goes into it, so I was like, 'Yeah, I don't necessarily want to do this again.'”
What convinced him to return were projects like “Barbie,” a popular film that led much of the cultural conversation last year and gained Oscar cred when the Greta Gerwig-directed film was nominated in eight categories, and “Oppenheimer.” by Christopher Nolan, nominated for 13 awards. .
“'Well, maybe I'll do this again, because at least I have a point of reference with everyone,'” Kimmel said.
The 96th Academy Awards aired live on ABC from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. “Oppenheimer” was the big winner of the night, taking home seven Oscars, including best picture.
