Steve Martin Doesn't Want To Host The Oscars Because They Are 'A Lot Of Work'

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | August 20, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | August 20, 2024 |

It feels like the Oscars are always in trouble. The ratings aren’t as high as the Academy would like. People don’t care about the movies that are nominated. There aren’t enough people of color up for awards. All of those are very real problems. They are things the Academy has been scrutinized for both publicly and internally. Still, it’s nothing a good host can’t fix! Right?!

The Academy has taken steps to address the issues I mentioned. Those steps haven’t always been successful, but they are steps. Regardless, it’s the search for a host that often gets the most attention. Jimmy Kimmel has filled that role the most recently, though he has made it clear that he is stepping away. John Mulaney was the fan-favorite choice after his performance at the show last year, but he turned the offer down. He’s not the only celebrity who isn’t interested.

Steve Martin is no stranger to the Oscars! He won an Honorary award in 2014, and let’s be honest, he’s been costing ever since. Certainly, the man hasn’t co-written a Tony-nominated Broadway show since then. There’s no chance he’s been touring the country performing with another legendary comedic actor. You’d be crazy to think that he teamed up with that same comedic legend to star in a hit streaming show that even crossed over into network TV success.

Look, he has been doing all the things I mentioned. It’s exactly why he has no interest in one of Hollywood’s most thankless jobs. “That represents so much work for us. And we love our summers,” Martin said of the hosting gig when chatting with the LA Times. “When I hosted before, I started working months ahead of time. And now I have a completely different life. I’m not as free. It’s a lot of work, and we’re working.” You can’t blame a man for not stepping away from something he enjoys doing, and he clearly loves performing with his pal Martin Short.

Martin and Short have been touring together for years and friends for longer. Steve famously quit doing stand-up comedy in the early 80s. He appreciates what he’s doing with Short, calling it, “Fantastic.” He also makes it clear that it’s a different experience than what he used to do. “It’s the utter opposite of what I used to do,” he told the Times. “What I used to do was stay away from jokes and really make it a performance. Now it’s all jokes. Not all one-liners, but routines. And it’s just really fun to do.”

Steve Martin makes a lot of sense! He’s happy with his life the way it is. He doesn’t want to change it. That includes not putting on a tux and pretending he’s seen every movie that came out the year of the show. I get it.