Talk show hosts who have hosted the Oscars

The talk show legend spent 30 years rubbing elbows with celebrities and entertaining audiences with his antics on "The Tonight Show." It’s only natural that he would be the first talk show host to ever host the Academy Awards.

The former Nebraska Cornhusker hosted the Oscars from 1979-1982 and then again in 1984. His trademark snark was on display in his first outing as well as following Bob Hope’s formula of self-deprecation. His steady presence made him a go-to host for the Academy five times.

The actor of "Caddyshack" and "Saturday Night Live" fame was part of the three-headed monster that hosted the 1987 Academy Awards along with Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan. Chase did well enough to be invited back a year later to host the show himself, but the results were less than ideal.

He was never known to be a man who played well with others, and while hosting the 1988 Oscars he opened by saying, “Good evening, Hollywood phonies.” A writers strike didn’t help with the material he used for the three-and-a-half-hour show, and he was never invited back to host.

The comedienne continues to charm audiences with her goofy sense of humor and pranks on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Her work as a talk show host won her many celebrity fans and eventually got her a gig hosting the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, her humor did not translate to the big stage. DeGeneres had success hosting the Grammys and Emmys, but her silly and, at times, cheesy humor did not play well with the biggest stars in Hollywood.

There was nothing that popped from her hosting gig in 2007, but the Academy gave her another chance in 2014 when she did much better, delivering pizza to the award ceremony and taking the most famous selfie ever.

After four straight years of hosting the Academy Awards, Billy Crystal decided to take a break, which cleared the way for a big change. The Academy selected Whoopi Goldberg to host the 1994 Oscars, making her the first African-American emcee and woman to lead the show solo. Goldberg brought her own cutting comedy to the show with some sharp jokes that left the crowd in stitches.

Her act was well-received as she got the opportunity to host three more times after (1996, 1999, 2002). Yes, she did get her gig at "The View" after she hosted the Oscars. However, that doesn’t diminish her role in breaking another glass ceiling for women and African-Americans.

After successfully hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2016, the late night talk show will get a shot at hosting the Academy Awards in 2017. The former "Man Show" co-host’s quick wit and light, sharp jabs should play well with the Hollywood elite — except maybe Matt Damon.

In many cases, the West Coast and East Coast don’t mix well. The Academy Awards is one of those cases. David Letterman’s New York sense of humor didn’t play too well with the Hollywood crowd in the Shrine Auditorium. The jokes were awkward, and the laughter was sparse.

Letterman’s fans are fiercely loyal to him. They are what kept him in the "Late Night" slot for 33 years. Good thing they did, because he proved he would have a tough time hosting an award show.

Allowing the controversial stand-up comedian to host the Academy Awards was an odd choice. The usually light award show humor doesn’t align with Rock’s hard-hitting commentary, and it showed in his first hosting appearance in 2005. His cutting jokes fell on deaf ears, and all that was left were blank stares and awkward silence from the Hollywood crowd.

However, time heals all wounds it seems. Rock got another shot to host the Oscars in 2016, when his social observations were mostly a hit — although the Asian accountant joke left plenty of room for derision.

Before becoming a cultural icon by hosting "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart was a struggling comedian trying to break into show business. MTV gave him a chance with his own talk show that was an instant hit. The show was eventually canceled because of a bad time slot, but he was well on his way to stardom.

Unfortunately for Stewart, his first stint as the host of the Academy Awards in 2006 was a bit rocky, starting with the awkward montage of past hosts with Stewart standing right there. He entertained the room enough to get another crack at hosting two years later at least.