Will an Asian actor in Hollywood ever get to host the Oscar Awards? After Kevin Hart decided to drop out due to some homophobic and offensive remarks he made 10 years ago, people have been fielding suggestions of possible Asian stars to replace him.
One of these suggestions came from Whoopi Goldberg, who remarked on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" that "Crazy Rich Asian" actor Ken Jeong would fit the job. Goldberg, who has hosted the Oscars four times before, said that it's about time an Asian-American star should host the annual Academy Award honors.
In response to her recommendation, Jeong said that he appreciated Goldberg's vote of confidence. They have briefly and privately talked about her idea when he visited Goldberg's show "The View" a few days ago. But he did not expect that she would be very vocal about it on another show.
Jeong, a former doctor who is of South Korean descent, has been in Hollywood since the 1990s. Aside from "Crazy Rich Asian," he is best known for his work on the TV series "Community" and the Bradley Cooper movie "The Hangover."
Meanwhile, Jeong's co-star on "Crazy Rich Asian," Constance Wu, also has a host suggestion. She told her Twitter followers that Korean-American Randall Park would also do great as the Oscar host because he's funny, handsome, charming, and has no controversy hounding him.
Wu and Park have been working together since 2015 on the TV series "Fresh Off the Boat." Park, whose parents are immigrants, have been in the Hollywood industry since 2003.
But L.A. Magazine also has another recommendation. They want another "Crazy Rich Asian" star to host the Oscars, but she's a woman: comedienne, actress, and rapper Awkwafina. The magazine described Awkwafina as hilarious, relatable, watchable, and full of energy.
Born Nora Lum in real life, Awkwafina is the newcomer in Hollywood among the three stars. She started her career as a singer and rapper first but later starred in movies like "Dude" and "Ocean's 8."
But it's also possible that the Oscars might not even have a host for the upcoming awards ceremony. The Academy has done it a few times before, with the most recent one in 1989.
Hart was announced as the Oscar host last May 2017. The Academy did not expect him to quit this week with barely three months to go until the event. The board had an emergency meeting last Tuesday to discuss their next move, but no announcement of a new host has been made as of press time.
