Eddie Murphy is officially onboard as host of the 2012 Oscars. The producers of the ABC telecast, Don Mischer and Brett Ratner, announced Tuesday that the actor and comedian will host the Academy Awards for the first time on February 26 in Los Angeles. Murphy said in a statement, "I'm looking forward to working with Brett and Don on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year."
Ratner, who directed Murphy in the upcoming film Tower Heist, dismisses talk that Murphy's best comedy days are behind him. Ratner says, "He's making me laugh from the moment I see him until the moment he leaves, so, he's as funny as he was when I was a kid."
Mischer notes that the hiring of a comedian like Murphy was not motivated by the overwhelmingly negative response to this year's Oscar hosts, Anne Hathaway andJames Franco.
Before the announcement was made, Whoopi Goldberg, who's hosted the Oscars four times, said Murphy is the "absolute right person" for the job. She said it's important for Murphy to remember to keep the monologue funny and short. She explained, "It isn't about you...it really is about the people sitting there, basically they want you to be funny in the first four minutes and then they want to know, Did I win?"
Murphy was nominated for an Oscar in 2007 for his performance in Dreamgirls.