The upcoming 92nd Academy Awards are scheduled for this Sunday, and will notably go on without a host, much like they did in 2019. While this piece of news dropped nearly a month ago, one person surely isn’t happy: veteran actor, and nine-time Oscar host himself, Billy Crystal.
Crystal compared the host-less show to “a trial without a witness” on a Thursday night appearance on late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live. The fifteen minute clip shows the When Harry Met Sally actor remarking on the awards show with Kimmel, a two-time host himself. Crystal hosted the ceremony four times in a row from 1990-1993, and additionally in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, and 2012, while Kimmel hosted in both 2017 and 2018. Crystal joked that the two “have hosted between the two of us eleven times,” referring to his nine stints.
He went on to emphasize the importance of having a host, stating that he found the gig “a great honor” and finds it a significant role that connects him to idols of the past. This year marks the second in a row The Academy has decided against a host, with last year’s host-less ceremony running smoothly but still at a sluggish pace.
The 92nd annual Academy Awards air this Sunday, Feb. 9, at 8PM EST on ABC.