2011: Eddie Murphy Walks Away from Hosting the Oscars

For a few weeks in the fall of 2011, it looked like Eddie Murphy would finally host the Oscars. Then it all came apart.

Murphy had been chosen to host the 84th Academy Awards, with Brett Ratner, who directed him in that fall’s Tower Heist, producing the ceremony. Ratner resigned after a homophobic remark he made during a public Q&A for the film drew widespread criticism. On November 9, a day after Ratner’s exit, the Academy announced that Murphy would not host either. Murphy said he had been looking forward to being part of the show.

Billy Crystal stepped in to host the February 2012 ceremony. Murphy’s decision was widely read as loyalty to his collaborator, and it left fans wondering what an Eddie Murphy Oscars would have looked like.

Sources: UPI.