He didn't have an easy start as an Oscar presenter: Jimmy Kimmel (55) presented the prestigious award ceremony for the first time in 2017. Everything was actually going well until Warren Beatty (85) and Faye Dunaway (82) mistakenly declared "La La Land" as the best film at the highlight of the evening. Kimmel was able to save the situation somehow and was hired again as a moderator the following year - but then the Academy relied on other presenters. Jimmy Kimmels returns as the face of the Oscars in 2023. That's why the 55-year-old is perfect as a host:
Since 2003, Kimmel has stood for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in front of the camera and regularly hosts the biggest stars of the hour in his late-night show. So he's no stranger to dealing with high-profile celebrities - no wonder he's had the honor of leading through the Oscars twice. The American makes himself popular with both live and TV audiences, especially with his humorous nature.
Among other things, the fake feud with Matt Damon (52) made him world famous. The talk show host and the actor have been fighting each other publicly for almost 20 years – just for fun, of course. Nevertheless, the gag has become so established that Kimmel even kicked it out on the Oscars stage. In a clip during the awards ceremony, Kimmel poked fun at Damon's performance in the family film We Bought a Zoo. After that, the actor was allowed to award another prize, but was only announced as a "guest" by Ben Affleck - thunderous applause from the audience was guaranteed.
Jimmy Kimmel owes it to the running gag with Matt Damon, among other things, that his late-night show has become popular in the USA. Kimmel finished "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" used to say "Sorry to Matt Damon, we're out of time". He implied that the "Bourne" star was waiting behind the scenes for his performance, which was only made up. Later, when Damon was actually a guest on the show, there were always fake complications that caused his performances to be interrupted.
The Damon gag was a spontaneous inspiration from Kimmel, which was praised by the show's producers. It is estimated that ratings for "Jimmy Kimmel Live" also rose from this point, saving the show from cancellation.
Kimmel proved that he was perfect as an Oscar host long before his first engagement in 2017. His special editions of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", which aired after the Oscars, was nominated several times for the Writers Guild Awards and was even able to win one of the prizes in 2012.
Last year there was a big scandal at the Oscars: Will Smith (54) slapped comedian Chris Rock (58) after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's (51) illness. Jimmy Kimmel told People ahead of this year's awards ceremony: "It's still shocking that this happened." However, he thinks Rock can be "proud" of his reaction at the time. The 58-year-old remained calm and composed after the punch in his face.
According to his own statements, Jimmy Kimmel is semi-prepared for his task on March 13. "I like to go in 75 percent prepared and leave room for improvisation while the show is on," he explained. Nevertheless, he is sure that he will give "110 percent".
