Oscar News - Red Carpet Host and Additional Presenters

ABC was a flurry with Oscar news today.  With the Academy Awards broadcast just days away, the network announced that Grammy Award-winning singer Kelly Rowland today announced that she has been invited to join Emmy® and Tony® award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, Entertainment Weekly Managing Editor Jess Cagle and "Good Morning America" Anchor Lara Spencer to host the official Oscar® pre-show. "The Oscars Red Carpet Live" airs SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, beginning at 7:00 p.m., ET.  It is followed by the official Oscars show.

More presenters were also revealed.  Today's first list included Oscar®-winning actors Michael Douglas and Jamie Foxx, along with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd.

 

Next, there was a release naming Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson and John Travolta.  (Maybe he should have been first.)

 

Today's newly announced presenters join a previously announced group including Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and "Marvel's The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; "Chicago" cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand. 

 

Hayek Pinault earned an Oscar-nomination for her leading performance in "Frida." She will be seen next in "Grown Ups 2."

McCarthy earned a nomination for her performance in a supporting role in the 2011 hit film, "Bridesmaids." She stars in the recently released film "Identity Thief," and will be seen next in "The Heat."

Neeson received an Oscar nomination for his leading role in Best Picture winner "Schindler's List." His other credits include "Taken," "Batman Begins," "Love Actually," "Gangs of New York" and "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace."

Travolta has been nominated twice for Actor in a Leading Role for "Saturday Night Fever" and "Pulp Fiction." His other credits include "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," "Hairspray," "Be Cool," "Swordfish," "Face/Off" and "Grease."

 Aniston's credits include "The Switch," "Marley and Me," "The Break-Up," "Along Came Polly," "Bruce Almighty," "The Good Girl" and "Office Space." She most recently co-starred with Rudd in "Wanderlust." 

Douglas has won Oscars for his performance as Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" and as producer of the 1975 Best Picture winner "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." 

Foxx, who garnered a Supporting Actor nomination for "Collateral," took home an Oscar for his title role in "Ray." 

Rudd's credits include "This Is 40," "I Love You, Man," "Role Models," "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." In March he will be seen in "Admission."