As an entertainer, there are certain milestones that you hope to achieve when it is all said and done. Being asked to host the Academy Awards is one of those things that everyone secretly wants to do no one admits out loud. From Bob Hope to Jack Lemmon to Whoopi Goldberg to Billy Crystal, the best of the best have been honored to host the Oscars, and there is a new name that should be taken into consideration. While having a late night talk show host like Jimmy Kimmel is a very good idea, as he has a writing staff that is well versed in pop culture, bringing in someone less trained may help with overall enthusiasm for the show.
Justin Timberlake is someone that the Academy should heavily consider
Timberlake is a multi-talented artist
Starting out on the "Mickey Mouse Club," Justin Timberlake has forged a career that has spanned from music to acting to producing. With hit songs like “Cry Me a River” and “Rock Your Body,” Timberlake received his first Oscar nomination in the best original song category for “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
Although he lost to "La La Land," at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes, he is now most likely going to become a member of the Academy. For anyone who watched the Oscars, Timberlake was able to engage with the audience in a way that a person who sits behind a desk every night cannot. In a room that is normally filled with people who are nervous about their upcoming awards chances, Timberlake made the audience feel at ease and at some points, many were shown singing along to the words and dancing along to beat.
Throughout his career, Timberlake has also shown improved acting ability in both the drama and comedy categories. His friendship with Jimmy Fallon could work in his favor as the writers of “The Tonight Show” could lend their considerable talents to him. Timberlake can also produce his own music and with that comes a new found freedom in being able to come up with comedic songs about the nominated films.
He has hosted an award show before
Though this may be seen as a moot point, Timberlake has hosted an awards show before. In 2008, he was asked and accepted the role of host for the “ESPY Awards.” Known as the Oscars of the sports world, Timberlake did a great job making athletes laugh and moving the show along. He, of course, had a really great musical number but also showed that he works well as a standing host.
He, of course, had a teleprompter but did not seem to rely on it as much as other hosts during awards shows.
The Oscars rarely hire two hosts for a program so the possibility of a Timberlake and Fallon double team may be off the table. If anything, the Golden Globes may be a great starting point for Timberlake as they usually like edgier artists and how many times can Tina Fey and Amy Poehler really be hired?
The 90th Oscars are far away, but I am sure that producers of the show are already looking for their next host.
