What does O’Brien plan to do from the stage? “We polled America. I spent a lot of my own money polling Americans and saying, ‘Would you like to see C
What does O’Brien plan to do from the stage? “We polled America. I spent a lot of my own money polling Americans and saying, ‘Would you like to see Conan O’Brien sing and dance?’ Shocking response,” he said. “People don’t want it, which means they’ll probably try and do it. I like to be an irritant. I will say this: If you like close-up magic tricks, you’ll be very happy with my Oscars performance.”
Jokes aside, O’Brien shares that the recent Los Angeles wildfires will inevitably influence the broadcast. “LA has just been through this traumatic experience,” he told GMA. “There’s a lot that’s happening nationally that people are very tense about, and it changes day to day. And so my job right now with my writers is to create possibilities.”
Who Are the Presenters at the 2025 Oscars?
The Academy has announced its first block of presenters for the telecast, beginning with all four of last year’s acting winners. That would be Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy, Poor Things’ Emma Stone, Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr., and The Holdovers’ Da’Vine Joy Randolph. As tradition dictates, the previous year’s best-actor winner will present the best-actress honors, and vice versa for the supporting categories, as well.
Dania Maxwell/Getty Images
Joining that quartet are a few other past Oscar winners, including Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, and Whoopi Goldberg. Also on hand to pass out trophies are Scarlett Johansson, June Squibb, Conclave’s John Lithgow, Inside Out 2’s Amy Poehler, A Complete Unknown’s Elle Fanning, and Wicked’s Bowen Yang.
Apparently missing from the 2025 Oscars ceremony? The presentation of best-acting honors via the “Fab 5” format of past ceremonies, in which five previous winners from the acting categories each introduced one nominee. According to Variety, this gimmick will be used for best director and some behind-the-scenes awards instead, avoiding any awkwardness around finding a past winner to heap praise upon Gascón amid her fall from grace. Sources did tell the trade publication that it was determined the “Fab 5” format was not going to be used for acting categories prior to the official nominations announcement.
Also on the chopping block are live performances of the best-original-song nominees. For a category featuring songs performed by Elton John and Selena Gomez, the Academy has opted to scrap any onstage renditions. As Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Janet Yang, Academy president, said in a letter to Academy members on Wednesday, January 22: “This year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters. We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
What Time Do the 2025 Oscars Start?
Following last year’s early start, the 97th annual Academy Awards begin at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 2, 2025—an hour ahead of ceremonies past. The 2025 telecast will air live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Listen to Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast now.
COMMENTS