Comedian Kevin Hart has thrown cold water on any hopes of seeing him grace the Oscars stage again, offering a candid take on why the current award show landscape just doesn’t mesh with stand-up comedy.

 

Hart, who famously stepped down from hosting the 2019 Oscars in the wake of past controversies, made his stance clear in a recent interview with Sky News. “Those gigs aren’t good gigs for comics,” he declared, adding that it’s not a dig at the Oscars or other award shows, but simply a reflection of their changing nature.

 

“They got it right one year where it was like just a bunch of personalities acting as the hosts,” Hart said, referring to the 2018 ceremony that opted for a hostless format. He sees a collaborative approach, with different personalities taking charge of different segments, as a more fitting alternative to the traditional comic monologue.

 

Hart, a seasoned host of shows like the BET Awards and MTV’s Video Music and Movie Awards, readily applauds those who’ve navigated the award show arena successfully. “Shout out to those that have cracked the code,” he said, naming legendary names like Chris Rock, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and even Ricky Gervais.

 

But for newcomers, the landscape is different, according to Hart. “If you’re not an industry comic, meaning a comic that has the relationships of all, then those rooms are very cold,” he explained. While his own familiarity with the industry gives him an edge, he recognizes the inherent challenges for others.

 

Ultimately, Hart sees the pressure cooker environment of award shows as incompatible with the free-flowing nature of stand-up comedy. “It’s too much pressure on the idea of a comic and what’s jokes and not jokes,” he said. “So, it’s tough.”

 

With his latest film, “Lift,” now streaming on Netflix, Hart seems content to focus on his acting career for the time being.