David Letterman marks the 25th anniversary of his Oprah-Uma Oscar-hosting disaster - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 01-30-2020, 06:00 AM

..., thinks Kevin Hart would make a great host

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ra...s-1995-1273902

In an extensive phone interview with The Hollywood Reporter on the 1995 Oscars, which actually took place on March 27, 1995, Letterman said: "I just want to thank you and the entire show business community for helping me to celebrate 25 years after the single biggest professional embarrassment of my life." Letterman also recalled his Oprah-Uma bit playing on the first names of Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves, who were all in attendance that night. "And by the way, this is a solid idea that I would do today if those three people were ever in the same room with me again — which seems unlikely, now that I think about it," he says, adding that "one of the mistakes that I made was I didn’t tell anybody." Letterman says that he doesn't think losing the Oprah-Uma bit would've changed the disastrous evening. And yet, Letterman says he was invited back to host the Oscars two more times. "And I don’t how know that happened — maybe a new guy came in who hadn’t seen the original?" he says. "And I considered it and then I thought, 'What, are you crazy? No!' Because I knew the same thing would happen again." Letterman also said that Kevin Hart, before his gay slur controversy, was a "genius choice" to host the Oscars, recalling how terrific Hart was in his Late Show debut without submitting to a pre-interview.

David Letterman revisits his 1995 Oscar-hosting failure again, blames Oprah, Uma and Keanu

Letterman, who marked the 25th anniversary earlier this week in an extensive Hollywood Reporter interview, tells The New York Times he doesn't think the job of an Oscar host is impossible. “I don’t know how to answer that,” he says when asked if hosting is an impossible gig. “I think that you have a point, until somebody goes on there and does a great job, and then it’ll all change again.” Letterman calls the March 27, 1995 ceremony “the greatest professional embarrassment I’ve ever endured.” But Jimmy Kimmel, who watched more than 30 Oscar broadcasts to prepare to host for the first time in 2017, blames Letterman for the negative perception. “I think the reason that show is remembered as less than stellar is because Dave himself branded it that way,” he wrote in an email to The Times. “I remember watching it and thinking it was great, then watching his show and finding out he didn’t.” Meanwhile, Letterman tells The Times the ceremony might've worked without the Oprah-Uma-Keanu bit. “I think all of that would have worked better if I had not struggled with the opening eight minutes,” he says. “You know who really is at fault here is Oprah and Uma and Keanu. Have you talked to them?” ALSO: Peyton Manning honors Letterman for being "a strong Indianapolis ambassador."

01-30-2020, 06:00 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,334	David Letterman marks the 25th anniversary of his Oprah-Uma Oscar-hosting disaster ..., thinks Kevin Hart would make a great host https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ra...s-1995-1273902 In an extensive phone interview with The Hollywood Reporter on the 1995 Oscars, which actually took place on March 27, 1995, Letterman said: "I just want to thank you and the entire show business community for helping me to celebrate 25 years after the single biggest professional embarrassment of my life." Letterman also recalled his Oprah-Uma bit playing on the first names of Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves, who were all in attendance that night. "And by the way, this is a solid idea that I would do today if those three people were ever in the same room with me again — which seems unlikely, now that I think about it," he says, adding that "one of the mistakes that I made was I didn’t tell anybody." Letterman says that he doesn't think losing the Oprah-Uma bit would've changed the disastrous evening. And yet, Letterman says he was invited back to host the Oscars two more times. "And I don’t how know that happened — maybe a new guy came in who hadn’t seen the original?" he says. "And I considered it and then I thought, 'What, are you crazy? No!' Because I knew the same thing would happen again." Letterman also said that Kevin Hart, before his gay slur controversy, was a "genius choice" to host the Oscars, recalling how terrific Hart was in his Late Show debut without submitting to a pre-interview. David Letterman revisits his 1995 Oscar-hosting failure again, blames Oprah, Uma and Keanu Letterman, who marked the 25th anniversary earlier this week in an extensive Hollywood Reporter interview, tells The New York Times he doesn't think the job of an Oscar host is impossible. “I don’t know how to answer that,” he says when asked if hosting is an impossible gig. “I think that you have a point, until somebody goes on there and does a great job, and then it’ll all change again.” Letterman calls the March 27, 1995 ceremony “the greatest professional embarrassment I’ve ever endured.” But Jimmy Kimmel, who watched more than 30 Oscar broadcasts to prepare to host for the first time in 2017, blames Letterman for the negative perception. “I think the reason that show is remembered as less than stellar is because Dave himself branded it that way,” he wrote in an email to The Times. “I remember watching it and thinking it was great, then watching his show and finding out he didn’t.” Meanwhile, Letterman tells The Times the ceremony might've worked without the Oprah-Uma-Keanu bit. “I think all of that would have worked better if I had not struggled with the opening eight minutes,” he says. “You know who really is at fault here is Oprah and Uma and Keanu. Have you talked to them?” ALSO: Peyton Manning honors Letterman for being "a strong Indianapolis ambassador."