Neil Patrick Harris Had 'No Idea' He Was Up for Oscars Hosting Gig
Harris was in the middle of his book tour when he got the call
— -- Neil Patrick Harris says he was just happily going about the book tour for his new autobiography when he got the career-defining phone call last week to host the 2015 Academy Awards.
“I’ve been on this book tour, just starting it…and then at the end of last week you get a call saying the Oscar people want to talk to you maybe,” Harris said today on “Good Morning America.” “Then you wonder what that means and then you do it and you have to announce it and it suddenly turns into another level.”
Even though Harris, who married his partner, David Burtka, in September, has twice hosted the Emmy Awards and is a four-time host of the Tony Awards, he says he was surprised to get the phone call from Oscars’ producers.
“[I had] no idea at all,” said Harris, 41. “I thought weirdly because I’d hosted other shows that that was a strike against me a little bit, because they had gone with people before Seth McFarlane and stuff who were sort of new, but then with Ellen last year doing such a good job.”
When Harris confirmed his hosting gig on Wednesday, he did so with a video that showed him crossing "Host the Oscars" off his bucket list.
“The awards shows, you can’t really decide that you want to host them,” he said. “They call you and ask you if you will. Even if you pitch yourself for it, it feels desperate so you just have to hope that the spotlight hits you."
“I suppose so,” Harris said when asked if he had ever dared to dream he would host Hollywood’s biggest night.
Harris added that he believes the fact that he’s starring in a hit movie, “Gone Girl," may have helped him attract the attention of the Academy, which of course give its awards to movies only.
Now that he’s hosted the Emmys, Tonys and soon-to-be Oscars, Harris only needs to host the Grammy Awards to obtain the coveted EGOT, the acronym for when an actor or actress wins all four major awards.
“I’m in a movie for the Oscars so I need to like have a hip-hop album,” Harris joked. "Maybe Cia and I do an R&B album together.”
Harris will host the 87th Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015, live on ABC. His autobiography, “Choose Your Own Autobiography,” is available now.