Chris Rock says he will return to the Oscars under one condition
TheGrio...
The comedian describes his terms for coming back to the Academy stage after the controversial Will Smith slapping incident.
Chris Rock got candid about his willingness to return to the Oscars after being slapped by Will Smith during the 2022 ceremony.
Speaking in an interview with Variety, the comedic actor shared the one condition that would bring him back to the main stage. While presenting a category during the 94th Academy Awards, Rock aimed his commentary at movie sequels, joking about a “G.I. Jane” movie starring Jada Pinkett Smith, alluding to her having a bald head. The joke resulted in Will Smith storming the stage, initiating physical contact. After the confrontation, Will Smith was banned from attending the Oscars or any other Academy event for 10 years.
“I’m not getting nominated. The only way I’ll go back is if I’m nominated, and I’m not getting nominated. And that’s OK,” contended the 61-year-old. “We’ll deal with that if it happens. Like, let’s manage expectations.”
He continued to reflect on the polarizing incident four years later as journalist Selome Hailu related his being slapped by the “King Richard” actor to his upcoming film “Misty Green,” which the veteran comedian is writing, directing, and starring in. In the film, which also features Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, and Anna Kendrick, the main character previously punched a colleague, and Rock’s character must decide whether or not to move past the ordeal.
“I wish nothing would have happened,” explained Rock. “And also, I don’t want to say anything that takes any attention away from Rosalind and how good she is in this movie. It’s a crazy world. We walk by homeless people. There’s all sorts of shit going on right now. Me having a bad day is not the biggest — it’s not that important.”
Rock also reflected on returning to the Oscars stage in a larger capacity.
“When people answer those questions, they’re being disrespectful to the people that got the gig,” asserts the two-time host to ‘Variety’ when asked about accepting the job in the future. “They have great hosts. Conan O’Brien is amazing. Nikki Glaser is amazing on the Golden Globes. I’m not going to say never, but my time might have passed, honestly.”