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MacFarlane meets Oscar as host of 85th Academy Awards "I think that's how most of the press perceived it, but it really was not that. It was something that the Hopefully, Oscar is Academy thought would ready for Seth MacFarlane, because MacFarlane be kind of nice, to make that usually dry ceremony sounds ready for him. a little more interesting. The "Family Guy" creThat was really all it was ator and "Ted" director supposed to be." and co-writer will live the Nevertheless, MacFardream of many a film fan lane was reviewed widely by serving as host of this for that occasion as if he year's Oscars, as ABC were presiding over the airs the Motion Picture Academy's 85th ceremony actual Oscars. "It was kind of ridicuSunday, Feb. 24, from Los lous," he says. "That was Angeles' Dolby Theatre the result of an overabunat Hollywood & Highland dance of entertainment Center. media. People are just Since being named by desperate to write about first-time Oscar producsomething, so they turned ers Craig Zadan and Neil that into a full-on review. Meron ("Smash") as a surprise choice for the job, It's 5 in the morning (Pacific time), and you're MacFarlane has become an Oscar nominee as well: doing a five-minute announcement, so it's a little He's up for writing the silly to review that like a lyrics to the "Ted" song "Everybody Needs a Best show." The Oscar contests Friend." "In general, we're trying themselves are intriguto make this a more ubiq- ing this year, since some results won't be sure bets. uitous Oscars," MacFarBest actor candidate Danlane says. "I think that a iel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln") lot of times, there's presand best supporting acsure to keep everything about the movies that are tress contender Anne Hanominated that year. While thaway ("Les Miserables") seem to be all-but-certain that is a big part of this, victors, based on their we're also trying to find history of winning virtuways to broaden it a little ally every honor in their bit." categories during this filmTo that end, a 50th-anaward season. However, niversary salute to the others aren't as predictJames Bond movies will able. encompass Adele's first Jessica Chastain has live rendering of "Skyfall" - another nominee for best been a best actress victor many times for "Zero Dark song - and Dame Shirley Thirty," but Jennifer LawBassey will croon the rence earned last month's classic "Goldfinger." Screen Actors Guild Also scheduled is a Award for "Silver Linings tribute to movie musicals of recent vintage ... includ- Playbook." There, actors voted for actors, which is ing Oscar's best picture how it also works in the of 2002, "Chicago," of Oscars. That also may which Meron and Zadan were executive producers. help "Argo" in the best picture race; that film's cast And Barbra Streisand will was named best ensemoffer her first Oscar perble by SAG, and many of formance since her tune the same voters weigh in "Evergreen" (from "A Star on Oscar's best picture ... Is Born") won in 1977. plus, Ben Affleck has won Hollywood, and televimany awards for directing sion viewers, got a taste "Argo" after being denied of how MacFarlane might that nomination in the fare at the Oscars from Academy Awards. his often irreverent midThe best supporting January teaming with acactor contest makes histress Emma Stone to antory this year, marking the nounce the nominations. first time every nominee in He maintains that wasn't meant as a dry run for the an Oscar acting race has main event. won the statue already. It By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it 2 Seth MacFarlane hosts the 85th Oscars presentation Sunday on ABC. could go any of several ways: Tommy Lee Jones ("Lincoln") won the SAG Award - again, possibly giving him the edge, since actors who voted on that also vote on the Oscars - Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained") took the Golden Globe Award, and Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master") earned the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Award. With "Ted" star Mark Wahlberg and the bluelanguage-prone title teddy bear set as Oscar presenters, Norah Jones also will perform, reprising the MacFarlane-co-written number she sang in that film. "I was positive we were not going to be on that list," MacFarlane says of his nomination, "so that The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • Feb. 18, 2013-Feb. 24, 2013 was a nice surprise. I've always thought of myself as something of a Hollywood outsider. I've never been in that inner circle, and I don't know that this will change that too much." The Oscar gig is the peak of MacFarlane's high-profile appearances of late. He hosted the season premiere of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" which many consider the main factor in earning him the Academy Awards stint - and Barbara Walters put him on her "10 Most Fascinating People of 2012" list. But to fans of "Family Guy," as well as "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show" (which he co-created), MacFarlane has long been a star. "Surprisingly, it's not that much different," he says of his current showbiz status. "After the (Oscar) ceremony is over, it might be, but not on a day-to-day basis so far. The only changes have been working on the ceremony itself and the amount of preparation. I've been drowning more than I ever have before in my own schedule, but other than that, it's been more or less the same. Amusingly enough, I still get as many remarks from people about the Comedy Central Roasts I've done as about the Oscars." Still, for any and all other activities he has, MacFarlane stresses he isn't minimizing the significance of inheriting the role that others including Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg have filled. He acknowledges that the Oscars draw "such a massive audience, there's just no way to treat it as anything other than an enormous opportunity that has to be taken advantage of with a lot of care. It's really superseded everything else for me. "It's not like I'm going in there trying to be Johnny Carson or Bob Hope, though," MacFarlane adds. "That would be absurd. I'm not haunted by the pressure of trying to measure up to people like that. I just take each one of these developments as it comes, as I have through the course of my career. I just try to do the best job I can and put on a good show."

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