Regina Hall Called Whoopi Goldberg For Oscars Hosting Advice

Regina Hall called up Whoopi Goldberg for tips on hosting the Academy Awards later this month, while Newsweek sought out some professional advice for the trio of first-timers too.

Performing as part of a hosting three, Hall is teaming up with comedians Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes on the night of the Oscars on Sunday March 27. It's the first time the ceremony will have an official host since the 2018 Academy Awards.

While speaking to Newsweek to promote her upcoming Prime Video movie Master, Hall looked ahead to the Academy Awards and revealed how she's preparing for the biggest night in Hollywood. Newsweek also spoke to two previous award show hosts, Anne Hathaway and Amy Poehler, to see if they had any advice for the trio.

Calling Whoopi Goldberg

Hall, Schumer and Sykes have taken on the task of hosting the 94th Academy Awards, and Hall told Newsweek, "There's some divine forces that worked out the trio."

The Oscars have pushed ahead without a host for the last three ceremonies and Hall wants the big night to be a celebration of film's role in helping us get through the difficult past few years. "On the night of the show we really just plan to have a lot of fun, to celebrate film. Just the fact that we're still here enduring and how film and television has helped us through this pandemic, this crazy time." She added, "I probably watched more stuff at home during the pandemic than ever."

Hall, Schumer and Sykes will all be making their debut as hosts of the Oscars on March 27, but luckily for Hall she could call upon someone who's been there and done it.

"I have spoken to Whoopi briefly and she's always great and so generous with wherever she can help." Goldberg has hosted the show more times than any other women. She fronted the show solo on four previous occasions: 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002.

Hall teased she'd be reaching out to one more former host for advice too, although she didn't reveal their identity. "There's somebody else I might reach out to as well. What's great is that everyone's been really supportive and encouraging thus far."

What happens if things go wrong?

Arguably the biggest night of the year in the movie industry, there's a lot of pressure on Hall and her co-hosts. During a live ceremony anything could happen, so Newsweek asked Hall if she's preparing for anything to go wrong.

"We'll wing it, we'll just have to be there in the moment," Hall said, adding it's possible to over-prepare, and she'll have to play it loose at times. "With a show, even a film, everything kind of takes a life of its own.

"You can be as prepared as possible but hopefully we have [mistakes] and if we do I'll just get the names so we know who to blame," she joked.

ABC has started playing promos for the Oscars showing Schumer, Sykes and Hall discussing their upcoming gig over glasses of wine. Hall and Sykes have recently worked together on the comedy-drama Breaking News in Yuba County but she has yet to work with Schumer.

The trio had talked virtually before but Hall appreciated getting to be there together in person when they shot the promotional content.

"It was great to meet them and actually be together in person, actually be around each other and feel each other for the first time. We had Zoomed before, but it's still really nice to be around and, kind of, experience someone. So it was good and it was like 'Oh, yeah, this is this is gonna be fun'."

Tips from former hosts

Previous host Anne Hathaway told Newsweek she has the utmost confidence in this year's hosts too. "None of those women need any advice from me. They're all so great at what they do," she said.

Hathaway hosted the Oscars alongside James Franco in 2011 but their performance on the show was criticized at the time. "It's a funny thing to have experienced and done but it's so far in the rear view mirror now. I love their choice of host this year. Like everyone else, I'm really excited to see what those incredible women do."

She's never hosted the Academy Awards but Amy Poehler is another celebrity with experience in the field as she's successfully presented the Golden Globes four times with Tina Fey. Along with Fey and Maya Rudolph, Poehler performed the opening monologue at the 2019 Oscars too.

"They don't need my advice," Poehler told Newsweek when asked about this year's hosts. "They're skilled comedians, they have been on many more stages and handled many more crowds than I have so I'm thrilled to watch them.

"I cannot wait to be on my couch, snuggled in watching them. And they have to wear the uncomfortable clothes this time. I'm really excited to see what they do," Poehler said.

The 94th annual Academy Awards from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California will be produced by Will Packer. Packer is an American filmmaker known for producing movies like Girls Trip, Night School and About Last Night.

Hall was speaking to Newsweek about her new movie Master, arriving on Prime Video on March 18. Hathaway spoke to Newsweek ahead of her Apple TV+ show WeCrashed which gets underway on March 18. Poehler recently directed a documentary about Lucille Ball called Lucy and Desi which is available to watch on Prime Video now.

The 94th Academy Awards will air on ABC from 6:30 p.m. ET, 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 27, 2022.