John Mulaney on the Possibility of More Talk Shows, Hosting the Oscars

John Mulaney isn’t saying no to anything. The comedian said this week he was open to the idea of more talk shows, and the much-discussed Oscars hosting gig.

“I used to have strong opinions: ‘I’ll only do this’ or ‘I’ll never do this.’ And ‘I don’t want to get pigeonholed like this.’ And I think both I and the entire entertainment business has changed so much,” the comedian told IndieWire. “I mean, there are people who one hundred percent host a game show every week and we have no idea — except for the millions of people watching them.”

Last month, John Mulaney hosted six nights of live shows on Netflix for John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In LA, a kooky Los Angeles talk show he created in partnership with the Netflix is a Joke Fest.

“I’m very now into instinct and what’s happening in the moment,” he said this week, saying Everybody’s In LA came together via instinct. “I really don’t have some strong principled take on doing it again. It was so fun, you know?”

Mulaney reshared the outlet’s article on his Instagram Story on Wednesday, writing he was “intrigued” by the six live nights of performances.

In addition to fan discussion of Mulaney’s future as a talk show host, others online have also supported the possibility of him hosting the Oscars. In January, he hosted the Academy’s Governor’s Awards, where pieces of his monologue went viral online.

“I really had fun doing that,” he said of the event. “I will say: I’m open to whatever. I personally have an affinity for [something lower key]. It’s so fun to try to do your absolute best at not the biggest award show, like the Spirit Awards or Governor’s Awards. They’re just a little more relaxed and casual. Going in and trying to have a shitload of fun is a great feeling.”

Mulaney co-hosted the Film Independent Spirit Awards with Nick Kroll in 2017 and 2018. He has never hosted the Oscars.