Oscars 2023 host Jimmy Kimmel is up for anything off-script on the big night, especially any applause.
talk to The Hollywood Reporterthe late-night talk show host was asked for his reaction to the fact that “another slapstick” controversy was not repeated.
“You want somebody to come on stage and slap me? I’m going to size them up, and if I’m bigger than them, I’m going to slap them on TV,” he said. “And if it’s a rock, I’ll run.”
The 55-year-old said he was not aware of the Oscars’ crisis committee’s contingency plans, which “manage multiple scenarios” of possible events.
Asked what the scripts would be about, Kimmel said: “I wish I knew. I’m not involved in that. I think that’s the last thing they’re worried about.”
“I feel like I should at least know what’s being discussed so I know what to be afraid of when I’m on stage,” he joked. “But I think it’s mostly about UFOs.”
At last year’s ceremony, Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock for making fun of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
The controversy sparked a backlash against Smith, who banned the events for a decade.
