oscars 2016

In 2005, Chris Rock Said He’d Only Host the Oscars Again If There Were ‘a Lot of Black People’

A 2005 Chris Rock appearance on Late Show With David Letterman has gained added resonance in the wake of #OscarsSoWhite. During the decade-old appearance, Rock, who had just hosted the Oscars for the first time, was asked what it would take to get him to return to the stage.

“If there’s a lot of black people on it, I will host the show again,” he joked. “There were a lot of black people that night. Jamie Foxx, Morgan, Beyoncé — it was like the Def Oscar Jam.” 

Rock signed on to host the 2016 Oscars before the all-white slate of acting nominees was announced; the diverse list of presenters this year is widely seen as a response to that controversy. (The segment begins around 3:07 in the video above.)

In 2005, Rock Wanted More Black People at Oscars