Chris Rock and others turn down offers to host the Golden Globes

CNN
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Barbie and Ken are likely to grace the stage at Golden balls next month, but the show’s organizers have had difficulty finding someone with “kinthosis” to host the event.

With the Globe nominations announced Monday morning, the search for the host is still ongoing, CNN has learned. Two-time Oscars host Chris Rock was among those who turned down offers to host the Jan. 7 ceremony, a source familiar with the talks told CNN, as were at least four other comedians.

A representative for Rock declined to comment.

Rock, who was also asked to host the previous Golden Globes, last attended a major awards ceremony in 2022, when he… Famous slap At the Oscars for Will Smith for telling a joke referencing Jada Pinkett Smith’s battle with a vixen. Rock will likely be a nominee at the upcoming ceremony in the new category of Best Performance in a Stand-Up Comedy on Television for his Netflix special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.”

Another potential nominee for her performance in the Netflix series “Beef,” Ali Wong, has also been approached to host the Globes, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. As I mentioned for the first time before demon, Wong turned down the party, the source said.

A representative for Wong declined to comment.

Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman, who co-host the podcast “SmartLess,” have rejected a joint offer to manage The Globes, two sources familiar with the deal told CNN.

A representative for SmartLess declined to comment.

Had the trio said yes, it would have been the first time there have been three hosts at the Globes since Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Nielsen and Jane Seymour co-hosted the show in 1993. Most of the raucous annual dinner’s 81 ceremonies have already disappeared . No host, but the Globes seem to attract more chatter when they have one…or two.

There is little hope that Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who have co-hosted the Globes four times and received critical acclaim, will return. They both have it I promised earlier They’re done with the party.

Apparently, they meant it.

“They will never do it (again),” a source close to Poehler and Fey told CNN this week. “They’re finished.”

A Golden Globes spokesperson declined to comment, but a source familiar with the search said there are “three very serious conversations” taking place with potential hosts.

This year, the Globes are moving to a new broadcast center at CBS. One possible outcome, of course, is for CBS to cast one of its stars in the role for three hours of free syndication. It’s an approach NBC has taken several times as the previous broadcast home of the Globes, selecting network comedy talent such as Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Andy Samberg as hosts of the event. On ABC, network star Jimmy Kimmel returns to host the Academy Awards next March for the fourth time.

Talents declining to host a major awards show is not unusual and certainly not unique to the Globes. For an up-and-coming comedian, a gig may be the opportunity of a lifetime, but for a seasoned veteran, with all the preparation and immediate — often negative — reactions, the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.

“It’s a thankless job,” a celebrity publicist told CNN.

“It’s not worth it,” another senior publicist said of hosting awards ceremonies. “There’s a lot of politics. It’s not easy and it’s not fun anymore.”

While the host of the weeks-long Globes ceremony remains in doubt, the Beverly Hilton ballroom could feature appearances from potential nominees Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Meryl Streep, Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Aniston and Quinta Bronson. The Golden Globes will mark the start of a jam-packed awards season, as the entertainment industry aims to bring the glitz, glamor and celebration back to Hollywood after twin strikes shut down most production for most of 2023.

The Golden Globes are also still working to overcome the scandal that emerged in 2021, when… Los Angeles Times It documented the lack of black members within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presented the awards, and potential ethical transgressions related to the outsized influence of its roster of 87 international journalists.

a A group of propaganda The HFPA called for “profound and lasting change” due to its “pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical violations, and alleged financial corruption.” They also advised their talents to boycott the event and NBC refused to broadcast Broadcast in 2022.

The HFPA has since disbanded and the Golden Globes received new ownership with Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries taking over the show. The changes have quieted calls for protest this time around, according to several Hollywood publicists who spoke with CNN, and said their celebrity clients are excited to attend the Globe Awards next month.

The fact remains that last January’s NBC concert (hosted by Jerrod Carmichael) suffered a rout Second lowest ratings ever with 6.3 million total viewers, down 26% from the previous televised Globe Awards. The event could probably use the help of one of the big-name hosts to make it better… if organizers can find one.