Two wild and crazy guys to host the Oscars

Last update: November 3, 2009 - 10:44 PM

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are taking on the Oscars. The two Hollywood veterans will share hosting duties at the 82nd Academy Awards next year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday.

Telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman said Martin and Baldwin are "the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars." The producers have said they hope to resurrect Oscar's ratings and make the show more fun by building on the changes introduced at last February's ceremony, which tinkered with the way awards were presented and featured Broadway-style musical interludes.

Shankman said the pairing will have tradition and freshness "walking hand in hand." Martin has hosted the show twice before, in 2001 and 2003, and Baldwin "is just hot, hot, hot right now."

The last time multiple hosts graced the Oscar stage was in 1987 when Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan shared hosting duties.

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