Jon Stewart, Host of the 78th Annual Academy Awards
After a long search, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced its decision for host of the 78th Academy Awards to be held on March 5th, 2006. Chris Rock, host of the 77th Academy Awards was not asked to return, and names such as the always-popular Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg had been looked at, but finally the honor went to Jon Stewart.
2006 will be Stewart’s first time hosting the Oscars. He joins the ranks of a position filled by many notable Hollywood and television names such as Bob Hope, legendary late night talk show host Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal, one of the most common hosts in recent years.
Stewart is best known for his role as host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Stewart took over the show in 1999, taking over from previous host Craig Kilborn, who left to host The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn on CBS.
A moderately successful cable television show when Stewart first took control, The Daily Show has only grown in popularity with Stewart at the helm, and has been recognized not only for its comedy but also as one of the most important sources of political commentary. The show has won a total of seven Emmy awards as well as two Peabody awards, for its coverage of the 2000 and 2004 elections. Notable guests on the show have included former President Bill Clinton, former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and even Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein making a dual appearance.
In 2004 wrote his second book, America (The Book): A Citizens’ Guide to Democracy Inaction, drawing on his new role as important American political commentator. The book spent an astonishing 46 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, with 15 consecutive weeks as #1. The book also won Stewart the Thurber Prize for Humor in 2005, and the audiobook version won a Best Comedy Album Grammy Award.
The newest host of the Academy Awards has not made a major impact in the movie world. He has appeared in only a handful of films, and the majority of these appearances were minor cameo roles. Some of his films include Death to Smoochy (2002), Big Daddy (1999) and The Faculty (1998).
Stewart’s career is and always has been primarily a television career. After working as a stand-up comedian in New York City for several years, he became host of Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theater in 1989.
He followed this with The Jon Stewart Show, s half-hour show that aired on MTV in 1993. After losing the chance to replace David Letterman on Late Night to Conan O’Brien, his show was picked up by Paramount Studios and nationally syndicated, now an hour-long program. Unfortunately the show received low ratings and was cancelled in 1995. Although Stewart has since come to great success, he has long lamented his inability to make it on network television.
Besides starring in his own shows, Stewart has made a number of guest appearances on other shows, including Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and NewsRadio, as well as a number of appearances on television talk shows including a memorable appearance on CNN’s Crossfire in 2004 where he got in a heated exchange with host Tucker Carlson.
Although 2006 will be Stewart’s first time hosting the Academy Awards, it will not be his first time hosting a major awards ceremony. In 2001 and 2002 he hosted the 43rd and 44th Grammy Awards.
