Comedian and Academy Awards co-host Amy Schumer said Monday that there is one guest she’d like to have make an appearance — virtual or otherwise — at Sunday’s event: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Schumer, who is co-hosting the annual awards show with fellow comedian Wanda Sykes and actress Regina Hall, joined actress Drew Barrymore on her eponymous talk show and said that she had actually spoken to producers, pitching the idea of having Zelensky appear via satellite or in a prerecorded segment.
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Schumer said that while she certainly understood the temptation to make the Oscars all about the escape from reality, she felt like it was an important opportunity to capitalize on the moment to draw attention to an issue that was of global importance.
“How do you handle the Academy Awards at this time?” Barrymore asked. “Are you going there? Do you ignore it? Call it out? What?”
“I think there is definitely pressure in one way to be like, ‘This is a vacation, let people forget, we just want to have this night,’ but it is like well we have so many eyes and ears on this show,” Schumer explained. “I think it’s a great opportunity to, you know, at least comment on a couple of things. I have some jokes that kind of highlight the sort of current condition. I mean, there are so many awful things happening that it’s like — it seems hard to focus on which one.”
She then told Barrymore that she had already pitched the idea, but that the show’s producers had turned her down.
“I actually pitched, I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky like satellite in or make a tape or something just because so many eyes get on — there are so many eyes on the Oscars. I am not afraid to go there, but it’s not me producing the Oscars,” she said.
“That’s why I love you,” Barrymore replied.
Schumer also solicited some advice on her upcoming hosting duties late last week from “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg — who has hosted the Academy Awards on several occasions herself — about how to best approach the event.
As The Daily Wire reported:
“Go have a good time,” “The View” cohost replied. “Don’t read anything, stay away from all the internet, don’t read it two days before, and don’t read it two days after.”
“Because everybody thinks it’s the easiest job in the world, and it’s not,” she added. “But have a good time. Because if you’re having a good time, they’ll have a good time.”
Sunny Hostin interjected and said Whoopi “gives very good advice, it’s worth following at all times” and Schumer agreed.
The 94th annual Academy Awards are scheduled for Sunday, March 27th, on ABC.