- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Ellen Degeneres is hosting the Oscars for the second time on Sunday night, but she’s hasn’t yet solidified all her material, she told Robin Roberts on Friday. But she does know that the show will be very interactive.
“I’ll be in the audience a lot and playing with people a lot — it’s a lot of playing with people throughout the audience, all throughout the show,” DeGeneres said, adding that she’s working on those bits now.
To lend a helping hand — she last hosted the awards in 2007 — The Hollywood Reporter has brainstormed seven suggestions that the comedienne should replicate from her successful daytime talk show:
Dancing in the aisles. Degeneres encourages her loyal talk-show viewers to dance freely each day and kicks off nearly every episode with a monologue and a dance break with her studio audience. With her Oscar trailer as a strong indication, there will be plenty of swaying hips and smiling faces inside the Dolby Theater on Sunday.
Watch her tuxedo-filled trailer below:
Shocks and scares. Degeneres often surprises her celebrity guests — literally, by assigning her staffers to creep behind them in costume and scare them out of their chairs, usually while they’re talking about a very intense topic. Their reactions are then hilariously played back for them to laugh off the chills.
As an example, watch a Mask-like staffer terrify Cameron Diaz as she celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Jim Carrey film:
Oscar-related pranks. If not scaring her guests, Degeneres puts them at the mercy of the public with hidden-camera pranks, while telling them exactly what to say through an earpiece. For an Oscar twist, we’re hoping for a reel with the nominated actors in real-life versions of their films — Meryl Streep or Julia Roberts yelling at a crowded restaurant or Sandra Bullock freaking out at the Griffith Observatory Planetarium.
Recently, Degeneres convinced Bruno Mars to mess with a nurse’s head in his dressing room:
Talk the nominated lyrics. Degeneres’ other hidden-camera prank series involves sending someone to approach strangers and speak only in song lyrics. It would be hilarious if a disguised Idina Menzel told a ton of strangers to “let it go” and Pharrell Williams instructed everyone to “clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.”
Watch as her staffer chats with movie theater attendees solely with lines from Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” Mars’ “Grenade” and Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” below:
Cameos with kids. The Ellen Degeneres Show has become a televised platform for showcasing young and viral talent, so an appearance by a tiny dancer or a YouTube singer wouldn’t be unexpected to break up the awards with a heartwarming performance.
VIDEO: 8-Year-Old Indian Dancer Wows on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’
Recently, eight-year-old India’s Got Talent semifinalist Akshat Singh wowed the audience with his moves:
Red carpet coverage by Sophia Grace and Rosie. Of the many young personalities showcased on Ellen, the British breakout duo has helped report from other awards show red carpets for Degeneres. We’re guessing they’ll be on hand on Sunday to collect quotes from attendees for her third live Ellen episode, which will air the day after the Oscars.
Watch Sophia Grace and Rosie report from the 2011 American Music Awards below:
A sloth for a singer. Whether or not Frozen takes home an Oscar on Sunday night, Kristen Bell would be crying tears of joy if Degeneres walked onstage with, of all things, a sloth. A notorious fan of the animal, Bell nearly broke down crying in excitement at the mere mention that a sloth was backstage in January 2012, and brought footage of when husband Dax Shepard surprised her with a visit from one for her birthday.
VIDEO: Kristen Bell Bursts Into Tears on ‘Ellen’ Over a Sloth Encounter
Watch Bell’s breakdown below:
What are you looking forward to when Degeneres hosts the Oscars? Sound off in the comments below.
Email: Ashley.Lee@THR.com
Twitter: @cashleelee
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day