Comedian Eddie Murphy has been chosen to host the 84th Annual Academy Awards show. The 50-year-old, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2006 for his role in the hit film Dreamgirls, will take the stage on February 26,  2012.

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In a statement, Murphy expressed his excitement on the project:

“I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts from [Bob] Hope and [Johnny]Carson to [Billy] Crystal, [Steve] Martin and [Whoopi]Goldberg, among others.”

“I’m looking forward to working with Brett [Ratner] and Don[Mischer] on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year.”

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Ratner, who will be producing this year’s show, told reporters:

“Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever. With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances — especially on stage — I know he will bring excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February.”

I think Murphy is an excellent choice! We’ll see how he does in 172 days…

[image: WENN]