March 22, 2002
Q&A: Whoopi Goldberg
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The Hollywood Reporter: Did you expect to host the Oscars again?
Whoopi Goldberg: No, I didn't. I just assumed that Billy (Crystal) or Steve (Martin) were probably going to do it. So this came as a nice surprise. (The producers) said: "We're going into the new space. We've been turned down because of people's schedules. It's an odd year, an odd time in the country. Would you do it?" And I said, "Sure." If somebody's coming to me, it's because they need me. If they ask, I figure it's because they asked the people they wanted and got turned down. I'm good that way.
THR: Will your approach to hosting duties be similar to that of the past?
Goldberg: I don't know. It depends on the feel of the (audience). We're all coming in a little shell-shocked from the last six months, and everybody's carrying that. My job is to try to get us across the rapids with some fun, humor, grace and dignity and make it a great night for people who are going to find themselves Oscar winners.
THR: Do you expect the events of Sept. 11 to have an impact on this year's telecast?
Goldberg: I'm sure it will. Six months isn't a long enough time to get over this; it's one of those things that comes up and is with you all the time. There are a lot of New York people involved in our business, and a lot of people are still kind of freaked out and trying to figure out where they fit. Where does entertainment fit into this new world? I think we're needed more now than ever. In times of tragedy, people go to the movies; they want us to take them somewhere else. It's the language that everybody speaks. Our little contribution may be mocked and teased by other walks of life, but it really is important. I don't think the world would be as great a place without what we do.
THR: Can you give us a hint as to what you have up your sleeve for the evening?
Goldberg: I always want to do something fresh. For me, the peak was coming out in all those wonderful costumes from the movies (in 1999). Coming out as (Queen) Elizabeth was great fun. I don't know what the new deal is going to be. There's lots of things to play with, like the hobbits.
THR: How do you test the material you use on Oscar night?
Goldberg: I don't, and you can't. The bottom line is it's a very difficult house to play. It's a difficult house because the show is not about me. People are there for one reason -- they want to know if they won. That's really all they want to know. They're very kind, and they'll sit and listen, but the bottom line is getting to the awards as quickly as possible. To be a nominee is a tough thing. You open the newspaper, and there's somebody saying you have no chance at all. Then you turn on the news, and someone is commenting: "Oh, that performance. I don't know why that got nominated." It's a tough time. I don't like to add to their tension.
THR: Will the fact that this is the first broadcast from the Kodak Theatre have any bearing on what you'll do or say?
Goldberg: No, but I will probably acknowledge the fact that I am throwing a housewarming because that's what the Oscars are, a housewarming.
THR: Is it hard to strike a balance between jokes for the industry and the need to relate to a vast TV audience?
Goldberg: I haven't found that to be a problem because most of the things that you talk about are things that everybody has heard. You see it on "Entertainment Tonight" or somewhere else. There's very little inside information left.
THR: Should presenters play it straight, or should they try to be funny?
Goldberg: It depends on who it is. Some people just aren't funny, and they learn that very quickly. What I wish is that people would thank their maids and stuff before they come. I think you should thank your actors and the people who gave you the job and then get off. Everybody has prepared, sometime in their lives, an Oscar speech, and you never want to take that away from them because it's a huge deal. For me, though, it's mostly about having to read the next day about how long the show was. So, truthfully, I'm only asking for short speeches for selfish reasons.
THR: Is this the toughest job a comedian can have?
Goldberg: Yeah, because it really doesn't matter who the host is to the people who are sitting there. All they want is the envelope. You could have Magilla Gorilla up there, and people will applaud and laugh at a couple of the antics and then want to get down to business.
Copyright © 2004 The Hollywood Reporter