Hollywood star Steve Martin is no stranger to the Oscars, having hosted the award show three times. When it comes to the future, however, Martin wants the world to know that he won’t be hosting the Oscars again.

Martin Won’t Host The Oscars Again

When asked by the LA Times if he would consider hosting the Oscars with his friend and collaborator Martin Short, Martin responded with a resounding no.

“That represents so much work for us. And we love our summers,” explained Martin, 79. “When I hosted before, I started working months ahead of time. And now I have a completely different life. I’m not as free. It’s a lot of work, and we’re working.”

Martin was referring to his and Short’s hit show Only Murders in the Building, which they star in with Selena Gomez.

Aside from the time commitment, Martin has another reason that he doesn’t want to host the Oscars again.

“They don’t pay, either,” Martin added of the Oscars. “The Golden Globes pay, so they get Tina Fey and Amy [Poehler]. And Ricky Gervais. The Oscars should pay. When you consider the amount of work, it’s at least several months of mental churning.”

Related: Steve Martin Announces He’s Likely Retiring From Hollywood After 60 Year Career

Martin’s Oscars Joke

This led to Martin writing a joke for the Oscars that he never got the chance to use.

“I have a joke for the Oscars that I never used. But I always think it’s funny,” he stated. “I’ll come out and say, ‘I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, Steve, how did you get to host the Oscars? It was easy. I just called my agent and I said, Get me something thankless.'”

Ouch! But also understandable.

Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the Oscars four times in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024, previously opened up about the paycheck he received for the gig. In 2022, he revealed that he was paid just $15,000 for hosting the Oscars show.

“I realized that out of all the jobs that I have, this one is actually gonna cost me money,” he admitted.

Kimmel was reportedly asked to host the Oscars again in 2025, but he turned it down. It was later reported by Deadline that Kimmel made this decision months ago, before he went on his annual summer hiatus.

Full Story: Jimmy Kimmel Won’t Host 2025 Oscars After Turning It Down

Martin Turns Down Saturday Night Live! Offer

In this same interview, Martin explained why he turned down an offer from Lorne Michaels to play Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz (D) on Saturday Night Live! this fall.

“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin recalled. “I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.’ I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”

“And it’s ongoing,” he added. “It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again. Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”

While it would be fun to watch Martin host the Oscars again, we can understand why he’s reluctant to do so. It will certainly be interesting to see who ends up hosting the Oscars next year!

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