Jimmy Kimmel Will Toast Oscars During the Show With Tequila Shots — and Celeb Audience Might Join
Jimmy Kimmel is ready to drink up at the Oscars.
The host of the 96th Academy Awards is planning to do a shot of Don Julio tequila during the show with his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez.
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But they might not be the only ones drinking at that moment. A source tells Variety that tequila shots will also be available for the star-studded audience of nominees and presenters. “There is supposed to be tequila at their seats,” the source said.
Not that alcohol isn’t available at the Oscars. There are several bars in the lobby areas of the theater and drinks are also available in the Rolex green room backstage.
Guillermo often offers and does shots with celebs, including Charlize Theron, Amy Adams, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Pratt and Ke Huy Quan, on the Oscar red carpet.
This year marks Kimmel’s fourth time hosting the Oscars. He previously fronted the ceremony in 2017, 2018 and 2023. In 2018, he enlisted celebs to hand out snacks to unsuspecting audience members at a screening of “A Wrinkle in Time” at a nearby movie theater. While hosting the 2016 Emmys, the cast of “Stranger Things” helped hand out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, that Kimmel said were made by his mother, to the television industry crowd.
“Oppenheimer” goes into Sunday’s ceremony with the most nominations at 13 and is the favorite to win many, including best director and best picture. “Poor Things” has the second most nominations at 11, and “Killers of the Flower Moon” earned 10.
One of the most anticipated moments of the evening is Ryan Gosling performing the nominated “Barbie” song “I’m Just Ken” with Mark Ronson.
Kimmel will now sit alongside other four-time hosts such as Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon. Johnny Carson (5), Billy Crystal (9) and Bob Hope (11) are the only three hosts who have more shows under their belt.
The Academy Awards air on ABC starting at 4 p.m. PT.
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