Carrey, Academy Deny Feud
December 21 -- Jim Carrey is tired of reports that he's got a beef with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. True, the august body has twice refused to recognize the Golden Globe-winning comedian, and now they've passed him over again in their choice of an Oscar emcee.
The star, whose turn as the Grinch just received another Golden Globe nod this morning, is denying that he's miffed over the selection of less-outrageous funnyman Steve Martin as the new host.
Carrey's name was mentioned as a potential fill-in by Billy Crystal, who passed on Oscar hosting duties this time around, with Crystal joking that Carrey was likely too irked over not being nominated for one of the gold guys himself.
"The buzz is that [Carrey]'s just too ribald," one source tells columnist Jeannette Walls. "You have to be funny, but you also have to show a certain amount of reverence. The thinking is that Jim just doesn't know how to do that, so the Academy will never ask him."
Au contraire. Both the Academy and Carrey's rep say that the man who got famous for talking out of his butt has been offered the gig in the past but had to turn it down.
"This is not a matter of the Academy vs. Carrey," an Academy representative tells Walls. The AMPAS rep says that the decision was made not by the Academy, but by the show's producers and ABC, the network that will broadcast the ceremony.
She added, "Jim has been approached to host the show in the past but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. There is no ill will. There is no feud."
