CNN - Whoopi set to lead Oscar night again

Whoopi set to lead Oscar night again

March 24, 1996
Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EST

From Correspondent Jim Moret

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Call it Oscar deja vu. One billion people will watch Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg host the show -- again.

Goldberg, who hosted the Oscar event in 1994, is returning to preside over this year's 68th annual Academy Awards show.

"This is not the Whoopi Goldberg show, says Goldberg. The Whoopi Goldberg show is mine, and I can run amok. But the Oscars is about one thing and one thing only -- whose name is in the envelope." (111K AIFF sound or 111K WAV sound)

Goldberg's experience as a nominee who's gone home empty-handed for "The Color Purple" and as an Oscar winner as best supporting actress in "Ghost", gives her a wide perspective on Hollywood's biggest night.

"It's not about necessarily who is presenting or what they're wearing. It's about what people feel about what they do and the honor that you're given," Goldberg says.

As for this year's Oscar hopefuls, Goldberg offers some words of advice.

"I want to say to the nominees when you're sitting there, laugh, get teary eyed, be excited, because when you see this tape in five or six years and you didn't enjoy it and you never made it back you're going to go 'Damn, why didn't I have a better time?'" says Goldberg. (332K AIFF sound or 332K WAV sound)

One thing that may distract attention from the event itself is a planned protest over the fact that only one African- American is among the 166 Academy Award nominees. But Goldberg believes the protest may do more harm than good.

"I think it's a much deeper and wider problem that cannot be answered and only inflamed by this because you're not getting all of the information. And this is again not to say that exclusion does not exist," Goldberg says.

Still, Goldberg is focusing attention on the things she can control, her performance and the pace of the show.

When people look back at this year's awards show, Goldberg wants them to say "damn that was fast."

Whoopi set to lead Oscar night again

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