Jimmy Fallon Oscar Buzz, Comedian Rumored As Possible Awards Host

Jimmy Fallon is rumored to be the possible host for the 2013 Oscars. The former Saturday Night Live cast member and current talk show host would be joined on the show by veteran producer Lorne Michaels.

According to sources at the LA Times:

“ABC has raised objections to having the late-night star from rival NBC play emcee on its Oscar broadcast, these people said, but the network has no authority to veto the choice of host.”

Motion Picture Academy president Tom Sherak was believed to have initiated the Jimmy Fallon discussions before he stepped down as Academy president on Tuesday.

The academy is currently denying talks with Fallon and Michaels.

A spokeswoman for the academy denied that talks with Fallon and Michaels were taking place. Representatives for Fallon could not immediately be reached for comment.

Fallon would join fellow talk show hosts Jon Stewart and David Letterman as host of the telecast. Letterman snagged the role in the mid-1990s, before ABC and parent company Disney launched a late night show of its own.

In the meantime Disney has reason to be nervous, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel are in a deadlock ratings race and the academy awards position could push Jimmy Fallon over the top. Kimmel in the meantime is hosting this years Emmy Awards which should increase his public profile.

The role will now be decided upon by new Motion Picture Academy president Hawk Koch who replaced Sherak on Tuesday. Koch will choose the shows producer and it is usually the producer who chooses the Academy Awards host. Sherak says the academy’s Board of Governors gave him the authority two months ago but he will not say who his choices are at this time.

Interesting fact, Koch and Michaels worked on 1992’s “Wayne’s World” together and then again on “Wayne’s World 2.”