Entertainment
10 Reasons Oscar Presenters Like Benedict Cumberbatch & Jessica Biel Agreed to the Job
As fun as it was to have the celebrities presenting at the Oscars revealed one at a time, it's understandable that the Academy chose to speed up the process by announcing the rest of the Oscar presenters all at once, seeing as there's over three dozen names on the list. And oh, what a group; it's not every day Zac Efron's name is listed directly underneath Robert De Niro's, or Gabourey Sidibe's next to Sidney Poitier's. Needless to say, this year's presenters are certainly an eclectic mix.
And while it makes sense to have Oscar favorites like Charlize Theron and Christoph Waltz on the list, some of the Academy's choices for presenters are bit more confusing. Read on as we break down the 10 most baffling presenters-to-be, and come up with a few theories why each might be there on Oscar night.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
On paper, it makes sense why Hollywood’s biggest power couple will attend. Pitt’s a producer and star of the Best Picture favorite 12 Years a Slave, and Jolie is beginning promotion for her newest film, a biopic/war drama that has Oscar bait written all over it. Yet both actors rarely show up at awards shows and red carpets unless they absolutely have to, and an appearance together is an even less frequent sight. After the leg-thrust-turned meme debacle of 2012, though, perhaps Jolie convinced her fiance that it was time to steal back their Oscar glory.
Goldie Hawn
Leonardo DiCaprio. Glenn Close. Goldie Hawn. One of these people has won an Oscar, and it’s not the one you’d think. Hawn’s Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for 1969’s Cactus Flower — not to mention her 1980 nomination for Private Benjamin — is the only reason we can think of for why the otherwise-irrelevant actress is presenting at this year’s Oscars. That, and the fact that Hawn’s equally-off-the-subject daughter, Kate Hudson, is presenting, as well. Moral support?
Will Smith
It might not seem odd for Smith, a two-time nominee, to be appearing at this year’s show, if not for the fact that the last movie of his the Oscars (or any of us) has wanted to see was 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. Sure, he’s a hugely powerful superstar, but one’s fame doesn’t typically correlate with chances of presenting at the Oscars. Our theory for why Smith’s on the list? He takes all his orders from his kids — and Jaden, an actor-in-training, really wanted to go.
Bill Murray
It’s hard to believe, but Murray has only been nominated for an Oscar once, for 2003’s Lost in Translation (he lost to Mystic River’s Sean Penn). The actor may be beloved by fans, but not so much by the Academy — until now. Murray will be making his first presenting appearance at this year’s show, and we can only imagine that it’s the Academy’s way of saying “we’re sorry about the 38 snubs.”
Michael B. Jordan and Zac Efron
It’s not that we have a problem with Jordan and Efron’s appearance at the Oscars — far from it. It’s just that we’re a bit confused why their Awkward Moment co-star Miles Teller’s name was left off the list. All three men are great on their own, but together, as a young, talented, good-looking trifecta? It’d be enough to make even the most boring parts of the Oscars worth watching. Maybe Teller’s too busy becoming a superstar to attend; is too late to ask if we can we volunteer in his place?
Jessica Biel
What would prompt the Academy to invite the actress, best known for not-exactly-Oscar-worthy movies like Valentine’s Day and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, to the event? Two words: Justin. Timberlake.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Cumberbatch, who appeared in four Oscar-nominated films including August: Osage County and 12 Years a Slave, probably doesn’t need a reason to make it onto the presenters list yet we can’t help but wonder if the Academy voters had another motive for adding the actor’s name; perhaps they have Tumblr accounts, too.
John Travolta
Please, oh please, let Travolta’s appearance at the Oscars be cover for a surprise duet of beloved Christmas standard “I Think You Might Like It” with Olivia Newton-John. Yes, the actress isn’t set to appear at the show, and yeah, it’s not December, but do we really need a reason to wish that the duo would re-enact their viral video on the Oscar stage?
Kim Novak
This one is pretty baffling. Unless the Oscars are going for a Hitchcock angle (which would help explain Hitchcock star Jessica Biel’s appearance), Novak’s presence has no real explanation. Still, it’s not totally out of the blue; in May, the Vertigo star was named the Cannes Film Festival’s guest of honor, and a year before that, she cemented her footprints at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Who knew we were all so filled with Kim Novak nostalgia?
Jim Carrey
Carrey’s appearance at the Oscars would be stranger if the actor hadn’t just recently pissed off Shia LaBeouf at the Golden Globes. Everyone knows that LaBeouf jokes are trendy right now; by bringing in one of his main antagonists, the Oscar producers might be hoping for an ratings boost — or at least a few good jokes aimed at the attention-hungry actor.
