David Letterman revisits his 1995 Oscar-hosting failure again, blames Oprah, Uma and Keanu

The New York Times

Letterman, who marked the 25th anniversary earlier this week in an extensive Hollywood Reporter interview, tells The New York Times he doesn't think the job of an Oscar host is impossible. “I don’t know how to answer that,” he says when asked if hosting is an impossible gig. “I think that you have a point, until somebody goes on there and does a great job, and then it’ll all change again.” Letterman calls the March 27, 1995 ceremony “the greatest professional embarrassment I’ve ever endured.” But Jimmy Kimmel, who watched more than 30 Oscar broadcasts to prepare to host for the first time in 2017, blames Letterman for the negative perception. “I think the reason that show is remembered as less than stellar is because Dave himself branded it that way,” he wrote in an email to The Times. “I remember watching it and thinking it was great, then watching his show and finding out he didn’t.” Meanwhile, Letterman tells The Times the ceremony might've worked without the Oprah-Uma-Keanu bit. “I think all of that would have worked better if I had not struggled with the opening eight minutes,” he says. “You know who really is at fault here is Oprah and Uma and Keanu. Have you talked to them?” ALSO: Peyton Manning honors Letterman for being "a strong Indianapolis ambassador."