Neil Patrick Harris earned mostly rave reviews for his stint as Oscars host last month and, although the actor called the gig “fun,” he's in no rush to sign up as host again. In an interview with Huffington Post, Neil revealed that he would probably not return as host of the awards show if asked.
“I don't know that my family nor my soul could take it," he said "It's a beast. It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don't know that it's a delightful balance to do every year or even again."
Neil said that hosting such a big event required him to dedicate a ton of time pre-show to getting the jokes and script right.
“It's so difficult for one who's simply watching the show to realize just how much time and concession and compromise and explanation has gone into almost every single thing,” he said. “Every joke. Wording of joke. Placement of joke. Canceling of joke. Embellishment for just one line.”
Neil Patrick Harris is unsure if he'll return as Oscars host next year. (Splash News)
Ellen DeGeneres hosted the show two years in a row before Neil took on the job this year. The Academy has not revealed whether they will ask Neil—or Ellen—to return for next year's show, or if they will bring in a rookie host. Regardless if he is asked again, Neil said he enjoyed the gig.
“I thought that those in the audience at the Dolby [Theatre] seemed to be enjoying themselves more as the show went on, when I was told that the opposite would be true. I was told that as the room fills, with you know it's four-fifths of the room didn't win, and you get further into the award giving they get less enthusiastic and less excited,” he said. “And I felt while we were doing it that people were enjoying themselves more and more, so for that I'm happy.”
This may have been the first year that Neil hosted the Oscars, but he is certainly no rookie when it comes to awards show hosting. He has hosted the Tonys four times in recent years. Despite his experience, Neil has said still gets nervous around certain people at awards shows.
“I'm most intimidated by the director people,” he told Jimmy Kimmel before the Oscars. “The actor people are fun but the director people stare at you like you're auditioning.”
