When Jimmy Kimmel took the stage to deliver his opening monologue as host of this year's Academy Awards no one was spared.
Without skipping a beat the US talk show host and comedian unleashed on Hollywood's elite.
He mocked last year's controversial slap between Oscar winner Will Smith and Chris Rock before noting some high-profile snubs at the popular award show.
"Tom Cruise and James Cameron didn't show up. The two guys who insisted we go to the theatre didn't go to the theatre," Kimmel said, referring to the performers and their respective billion-dollar gross films Top Gun Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water.
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The three-time Oscars host's words then got a little more personal with Cameron.
"James Cameron is not here. You know a show is too long when even James Cameron can't sit through it… Some of the critics are saying Jim Cameron isn't here because he didn't get a best director nomination," he said.
"And while I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility, he does have a point. I mean, how does the Academy not nominate the guy who directed Avatar? What did they think he is, a woman?"
Nicole Kidman was also not out of the comic's verbal firing line.
"I'm happy to see Nicole Kidman has been finally released by that abandoned AMC where she's been held for two years now," Kimmel said, referring to Kidman's commercial for AMC theaters.
"Thank you for encouraging people who were already at the movie theater to go to the theater."
Kimmel also poked fun at how the top 10 highest grossing films this year are sequels or franchises.
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"They say Hollywood is running out of new ideas. Even Steven Spielberg had to make a movie about Steven Spielberg," he said.
Spielberg is nominated in multiple categories for his latest film The Fablemans, including Best Picture and Best Director.
"…. Oscar nomination for the great Michelle Williams [for playing Spielberg's mother in The Fabelmans]. It wasn't an easy shoot for Michelle," Kimmel said.
"After almost every take, Spielberg rushed up to her with tears in his eyes and he'd scream, 'That's not how mommy said it!'"
Kimmel also offered a few Oscar statistics, revealing that 31 years ago in 1992, Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan were in the movie, Encino Man together.
Both are nominated for Oscars this year, with Quan winning the Best Supporting Actor category.
"Incredible night it must be for the two of you and what a very difficult night for Pauly Shore," Kimmel said.
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Title: 'They didn't show up': Jimmy Kimmel unleashes on Hollywood elite in Oscars monologue
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/jimmy-kimmel-oscars-host-unleashes-on-tom-cruise-and-james-cameron/422190d4-c749-4bdf-b690-69164cccec0c
Published Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2023 01:03:00 GMT
