6 Celebrities Who Have Hosted the Oscars Four or More Times

Buzz and excitement for the Oscars have already begun as the nominations and winner predictions have taken over the industry. Along with that, the celebrity who gets to host the ceremony also gets much of the spotlight as the host brings all aspects of the evening together, entertaining the audience with some light-hearted jokes and wit to cut down the tension of the competition.

There are many high profile celebrities who have had a chance to host the Oscars more times than the others because of their incredible charm and comic timing on screen. A host needs to be good at holding the attention of the audience while also subtly commenting on the milestone movie moments of the year.

As Conan O’Brien gears up to host the Oscars in 2025, here’s a look at all the celebrities who hosted the ceremony four or more times in the past.

Jimmy Kimmel – 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024

The talk show host is known to be one of the most gracious and hilarious emcees. Jimmy Kimmel was tapped by the Academy four times to host the prestigious Oscars. He revealed how the preparation seeps into all aspects of the creative’s life as he wasn’t able to focus on his talk show for months.

Even though the payment is meager, Kimmel had the time of his life hosting the coveted awards ceremony. His brain was always working at full speed to make jokes and find situations to comment on. Needless to say, the audience reveled in his hosting as they enjoyed his unique ability to cut the tension and spread joy. Moreover, his experience as a talk show host aided him in bringing the same wit to the ceremony.

Whoopi Goldberg – 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002

The actress and comedian’s stint in hosting the Oscars was record-breaking as Whoopi Goldberg was the first Black female to emcee the awards all on her own. Her experience hosting The View helped her bring the audience together in every segment and deliver an entertaining evening. She also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress back in 1990. She expressed to Variety,

I had a great time. The critics didn’t love me, but I never cared much what the critics thought as long as people had a good time.

Not just the Oscars, Goldberg is one of the few celebrated people in the history of Hollywood to win an Emmy, a Grammy and also a Tony award – all the major awards that are a testimony to their talent and exceptional contribution to the industry.

Jack Lemmon – 1958, 1964, 1972 and 1985

The actor has hosted the Oscars four times and won the Award twice. Jack Lemmon excels in both comedy and drama roles, carving a unique niche for himself back in the 60s and 70s. Along with the Oscars, Lemmon is also a recipient of seven Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Lemmon has hosted the show with an ensemble of celebrities and also by himself. His magnanimous personality allowed the masses to rejoice in the celebration.

Johnny Carson – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984

It would have been a wasted opportunity to not have the King of Late Night shows host the most-anticipated night in Hollywood. Johnny Carson used to be the host of The Tonight Show for almost three decades which is a huge achievement by itself. His experience hosting was put to great use at the Oscars ceremony as he shone in the spotlight for five years.

For four consecutive years, he remained a loveable host for the Oscars and he returned in 1984 to host the event’s 56th edition.

Billy Crystal – 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012

When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal is credited with hosting the Oscars nine times! The actor and director began his stint in 1990 and hosted for the last time in 2012. He recalls his experience on the event to be a memorable one, despite vowing to never host the award ceremony again.

Recalling one of the fondest memories he has of hosting the Oscars, Crystal told People,

I remember being backstage and there’s a tap on my shoulder, and I turn around and it’s Sophia Loren. She had no idea that she and I had been married in my mind for like two years when I was 15. She tells me, ‘Someone wants to meet you’ and she brings over Federico Fellini. So, now I’m backstage with Sophia and Fellini. It was like mind-blowing.

Crystal has continued to work on diverse projects since his career’s highest moments. He enjoys writing stories and seeing them come to life on screen.

Bob Hope – 1940-1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959-1962, 1965-1968, 1975 and 1978

This list will forever be incomplete without mentioning the name of the comedy and acting icon Billy Hope who holds the record for hosting the Oscars a whopping 19 times! Nobody has even come close to breaking his record as he managed to charm and delight the Oscar attendees time and again. Back in 1967, Hope said,

I enjoy doing the show. I figure if I stay around long enough, they may have [an Oscar] left over. Oh, they’ve given me two Oscars in appreciation for my services. But, oddly enough, never a single one for my acting. And I do my best acting on that program, smiling while the others are winning. I’ve had that acceptance speech in my pocket for so long.”

His incredibly sharp sense of humor and ability to churn out one-liners in mere moments is admirable. The Academy trusted Hope with the award ceremony so many times because of his intriguing personality and the ability to hold the audience with his voice.

Will anybody be able to break this record in the future? We wouldn’t hold out hope for that.