Neil Patrick Harris is set to host the 2015 Oscars, which will be held Feb. 22.
While this will be the versatile performer's first stint as the Academy Awards show emcee, he's an established fixture when it comes to hosting awards shows. He's hosted the Emmy Awards twice and the Tony Awards four times, winning four Emmys for his Tony shows. He also has performed on the Oscar show. Harris will also have a rooting interest in one of this year's awards hopefuls, since he's currently appearing in David Fincher's Gone Girl.
Harris' selection comes after what sources say was a relatively brief search. Last year's host, Ellen DeGeneres, passed on returning, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus was offered the gig and turned it down.
In announcing their choice of Harris, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who will be producing the show for the third year in a row, said in a statement, "We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars. We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage."
"It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year's Academy Awards," said Harris, who released a video via Twitter where he can be seen scratching being Oscar host off his bucket list. "I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true."
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs commented, "We share Craig and Neil's excitement in welcoming the incredibly talented Neil Patrick Harris. He is the consummate entertainer. Neil's distinctive charm and showmanship make him the ideal host to honor the Oscar legacy and ensure we all enjoy another unforgettable celebration."
With Zadan and Meron at the helm, the Oscar show ratings have been on the upswing for the past two years, with last year's show reaching more than 45 million viewers. The Academy also pointed to the fact that last year's show registered in a big way on social media, with more than 1 billion impressions on Twitter and 25 million interactions on Facebook on Oscar Sunday. DeGeneres' star-studded selfiebecame the most retweeted photo of all time with 32.8 million views.哈里斯将担任明年奥斯卡颁奖礼的主持人，颁奖礼将于2015年2月22日举行。
尽管这是哈里斯首次担任奥斯卡金像奖（Academy Awards）的主持人，但这位多才多艺的演员已经是颁奖礼的老牌司仪了。哈里斯曾两度主持艾美奖，四次主持托尼奖。并因托尼表演四次收获艾美奖。他也曾在奥斯卡金像奖的颁奖典礼上表演。因出演由大卫·芬奇（David Fincher）导演的《消失的爱人》（Gone Girl），该影片有望入围本届奥斯卡，因此哈里斯也会比较感兴趣。
消息人士称，美国电影艺术与科学学院仅通过简单的挑选就确定哈里斯为主持人的最终人选。去年的主持人艾伦·德詹尼丝（Ellen Degeneres）今年不会再主持，而朱丽娅·路易斯·德莱弗斯（Julia Louis-Dreyfus）拒绝了这个邀请。
连续三次担任奥斯卡颁奖礼制作人的克雷格·扎丹（Craig Zadan）和尼尔·梅隆（Neil Meron）在宣布哈里斯为最终人选时表示：“能邀请哈里斯主持奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼，我们很激动。我们了解他的整个成年生活。我们也见证着他通过电影、电视剧和舞台剧的出色表演而变得炙手可热。我们会在奥斯卡颁奖礼的合作中擦出新的火花，在这个国际化大舞台上展示他的内涵和天资。”
哈里斯在推特上发布了一个视频，从视频中可知他终于完成了主持奥斯卡的夙愿。他表示：“被邀请主持明年的奥斯卡颁奖礼真是一件让人感到荣耀和兴奋的事情。我是看着奥斯卡颁奖礼长大的，并经常会为一些主持人的出色表现感到敬畏和叹服。如今，我居然也有机会追随约翰尼·卡森（Johnny Carson）、比利·克里斯托（Billy Crystal）、艾伦·德詹尼丝（Ellen Degeneres）等优秀主持人的脚步，真是梦想成真啊。”
学院主席艾萨克斯（CherylBoone Isaacs）表示：“我们同克雷格·扎丹和尼尔·梅隆两位制作人一样激动，欢迎才华横溢的哈里斯的加入。这名完美的演员魅力非凡，演技高超，是主持奥斯卡金像奖的最佳人选。他会给我们带来另一场难忘的盛宴。”
克雷格·扎丹和尼尔·梅隆担任制作人的这两年，奥斯卡颁奖礼的收视率有所上升，去年观看人数达到了4500万。学院也指出去年的表演在社交媒体上引起了极大的发响，超过十亿人在推特上发表观点，2500万人在Facebook上展开讨论。德詹尼丝发表的众星云集的自拍照呗转发了3280万次，成为了转发量最高的照片。