Comedian Chris Rock is preparing new material for his Oscars hosting gig, according to Entertainment Tonight. The Fast Five actor scrapped his prepared jokes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences nominated all white actors for its major acting categories, including Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress.
Rock is reworking his opening monologue to address the controversy, according to producer Reginald Hudlin.
"Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room," Hudlin told Entertainment Tonight. "As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, 'I'm throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show.”
Rock seems like the perfect comedian for the job. Hudlin agrees.
“You should expect [#OscarsSoWhite jokes]," the co-producer of the Academy Awards said. "And, yes, the Academy is ready for him to do that. They're excited about him doing that. They know that's what we need. They know that's what the public wants, and we deliver what the people want."
Other comedians are also throwing their support behind the Grown Ups actor. Marlon Wayans told People that “there’s no greater person to talk about this than Chris Rock.”
"Chris has a job to do," the Fifty Shades of Black star said. "When you're contracted and obligated to do something, you have a job to do. I don't put that stress on that man. Rock's going to go out and he's going to address this. We're all giving him fuel and stuff to talk about."
The stand-up legend is already slinging jokes. In a promo for the Oscars, Rock referred to the ceremony as the “white BET Awards.” There’s plenty more where that came from.
