They say the third time’s the charm and that phrase rings true for this year’s Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel.
The comedian hosted the event in 2017 and 2019 and he’s set to do it once again this Sunday.
Kimmel is no stranger to controversy at the big awards ceremony.
Some may recall the biggest thing to happen at the Oscars until Will Smith’s slap, which was when “La La Land” was named Best Picture in 2017 only to have the title rescinded when it became apparent that “Moonlight” had actually won.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kimmel said he’s preparing for this year’s event in a variety of ways. He revealed that he’ll avoid jokes about Tom Cruise and about the show’s runtime. He also explained that he was prepared for another onstage slap.
“If somebody comes up on the stage and slaps me? Well, I size them up, and, if I’m bigger than they are, I beat the s— out of them on television. And if it’s The Rock, I run,” he said.
The 95th Annual Academy Awards are on March 12 at 5 p.m.
KTLA 5’s live coverage from the red carpet kicks off at 1 p.m. on KTLA, the KTLA app, KTLA+, and digital-stage.ktla.com.
Sam Rubin, Jessica Holmes, Doug Kolk, and Megan Henderson will be live outside the Dolby Theater.