Neil Patrick Harris' Secret Weapon for Oscars Prep: Avengers Toys & Cats
Neil Patrick Harris has plenty of experience hosting award shows, but in a special conversation with Melissa Rivers for ET, he says that the Academy Awards are a whole other beast.
NEWS: Neil Patrick Harris Set to Host the Oscars for the First Time
"This is sort of the big gorilla," NPH says of the Oscars, which he'll be hosting for the first time on Sunday. "I think the preparation involves a little more second guessing."
This coming from a man who has hosted the Tonys four times and the Emmys twice! And with this being the most important award show he’s ever emceed, Harris told Rivers that he’s pulling out all the stops and even has some secret weapons.
First of which, bribing his adorable 4-year-old twins so they're not sad while their dad is gone all the time prepping for the big show.
VIDEO: Neil Patrick Harris Fears He Can't Top Ellen DeGeneres' Epic Oscars Selfie
"Gideon is getting an Avengers set up ... So I'm on the hunt of that and Harper wants a cat," NPH reveals. Though not a real one! "She has 11 or 12 stuffed cats so we know what she's going to be like when she's 85."
His other secret weapon? A team of young writers from all different genres.
"I've got a bunch of different voices that have been super effective in the special material I've come up with, I hope," the 41-year-old actor says. "Monday, I could suck then I fire them all," he jokes.
Hopefully Harris won't encounter any hiccups during Sunday's live broadcast, but he has learned how to keep his cool under fire. Rivers found out what was his worst award show moment.
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"When I did the last Emmys we spent a lot of time honoring people that passed away that year and halfway through I realized that the gravity of that throughout the show was hard to recover from to say the least," Harris recalls. "That's a hard thing to deal with once and even harder five times."
NPH joins a long list of illustrious Oscar hosts, which includes Steve Martin, Jon Stewart, Billy Crystal and Ellen DeGeneres. Harris has a hard act to follow, as last year DeGeneres drew 43.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched Oscarcast since 2000. And who can forget the most epic selfie ever?!
NEWS: Melissa Rivers to Publish New Book Celebrating Joan Rivers
Harris admitted to DeGeneres that he's concerned he won't be able to top her star-studded selfie shot. Watch the video to find out her suggestion for how to one-up the photo that "broke the Internet."
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