Steve Martin And Alec Baldwin Picked For Oscar Hosts

Oscar has a new host this year - two of them.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have been selected to co-host the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced.

“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic.  “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

Martin and Baldwin are friends off-screen and costarring on it with Meryl Streep in the movie, ‘It’s Complicated.’

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As noted in the official press release, Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Oscar telecasts.  He has also been a presenter on the show several times, most recently on last February’s show when he appeared with Tina Fey.

Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in “The Cooler.” That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show.

Earlier in the week, various outlets reported that last year’s host Hugh Jackman withdrew his name from consideration for emcee duties again this year.

Longtime favorite Billy Crystal was mentioned as a possibility by some hosts, but it’s suspected both Crystal and the Academy felt they had been down that road too often before.

The 2009 Academy Awards airs Sunday, March 7, 2010 on ABC.

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