Jackman was announced Friday as the host of the 81st Academy Awards , a marked departure from the academy 's standard of big-name comedians .
Jackman
['jackman', 'announce', 'friday', 'host', '81st', 'academy', 'awards', 'marked', 'departure', 'academy', 'standard', 'big-name', 'comedian']
<m> Jackman </m> was announced Friday as the host of the 81st Academy Awards , a marked departure from the academy 's standard of big-name comedians .
He sings , dances , acts on stage and screen , and he 's the `` Sexiest Man Alive . ''
Hugh Jackman does everything but standup comedy - and that 's why the first-time Oscars host fulfills the academy 's promise to shake up the show in a way that 's as tough to predict as the winners .
<m> Jackman </m> was announced Friday as the host of the 81st Academy Awards , a marked departure from the academy 's standard of big-name comedians .
Jon Stewart , who hosted in 2008 and 2006 , and Ellen DeGeneres , the 2007 host , were the latest in a line of funny emcees since 1990 .
Billy Crystal did it eight times , Whoopi Goldberg took on four , Steve Martin did it twice and David Letterman and Chris Rock each had a shot .
As the parade of A-list comedians continued , ratings were in steady decline .
But with new producers , a new director , new set designer and even a new music director , the academy has been hinting for months at an all-new look and feel for this year 's Oscars telecast on Feb. 22 .
Having Jackman host certainly fits with that theme .
Producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon called the Australian actor `` a consummate entertainer and an internationally renowned movie star . ''
`` He also has style , elegance and a sense of occasion , '' Mark and Condon said in a joint statement .
`` Hugh is the ideal choice to host a celebration of the year 's movies - and to have fun doing it . ''
Indeed , Jackman can be a mutant superhero ( Wolverine from the `` X-Men '' movie franchise ) , a flirtatious singing barker ( Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein 's musical `` Carousel '' ) , a determined magician ( `` The Prestige '' ) and a dancing penguin ( `` Happy Feet '' ) .
The 40-year-old actor plays a roughhewn cattle driver opposite Nicole Kidman 's English aristocrat in the new Baz Luhrmann romantic adventure `` Australia . ''
Jackman was abroad promoting the film Friday when his Oscar role was announced .
`` Thirty years ago when I was in Sydney watching Johnny Carson host the Oscars with my family , I never imagined that I 'd one day have the chance to be up on that stage myself , '' he said in a statement .
`` I am very grateful to the Academy for giving me this opportunity .
And , excited to be working with Larry and Bill on what I know will be a fun and memorable celebration . ''
Having an entertainer such as Jackman host the show necessitates a change in the well-established standard of opening the show with a jokes , said Steve Pond , author of the 2005 book `` The Big Show : High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards . ''
`` The tricky part is that while he 's charming , he 's not the kind of guy to go out there and deliver a comic monologue at the top of the show , '' Pond said .
`` He 's more comfortable with a song and dance , but is a song and dance at the top of the Oscars what people want to see ?
It 'll be tricky adopting what he does best to what works at the Oscars . ''
But with ratings dropping for all awards shows , it 's worth shaking things up to generate interest - and the Academy Awards telecast , which posted its lowest ratings ever in February , is n't the only one trying something new .
The Emmys added a category - best reality-show host - and divvied the show 's hosting duties among the five nominees .
The results were disastrous:
Critics panned the format and the show was one of the least-watched Emmys ever .
The Grammy Awards spiced up its nominations earlier this month by trading its typical staid press conference for a glitzy , live concert special .
Ratings-wise , the hourlong show came in fourth among prime-time contenders , behind such dramas as NBC 's `` Life '' and ABC 's `` Private Practice . ''
Bringing in Jackman to host the Academy Awards is `` a stretch for the Oscars , but at this stage , it 's worth taking the risk , '' Pond said .
`` He certainly has what it takes to do the gig if some changes are made in what that gig requires . ''
Jackman also has award-winning hosting experience:
He won an Emmy in 2005 for hosting the 58th annual Tony Awards in 2004 , when he also took a best-actor Tony for his performance in the musical `` The Boy From Oz .
`` Jackman has never been an Oscar nominee , but was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in 2001 's romantic film `` Kate and Leopold . ''
He also served as a past presenter on the Oscar show .
Jackman and his wife , Deborra-Lee Furness , have their own Oscar at home - their 8-year-old son , Oscar Maximillian .
The couple also have a 3-year-old daughter Ava .