Neil Patrick Harris opens Oscars 2015 with a bang in his opening monologue
BY MARY KINNEY
Neil Patrick Harris had big shoes to fill after Ellen DeGeneres hosted last year -- but Harris killed it with his opening monologue. He began with a dig at the white-washing of this awards ceremony, noting that they were celebrating "the best and the whitest." After 'Selma' was famously snubbed, this hit the Academy where it hurt.
Yet the jabs at the Academy were swiftly outshadowed by an incredible musical production. Neil Patrick Harris famously hosted the Tony Awards and the Emmys -- and he definitely has a knack for musical theater after his leading role in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch.'
The star-studded musical monologue featured Anna Kendrick lending her beautiful voice. Dancers began to join in the song devoted to "moving pictures" -- after a brief interruption from angsty Jack Black.
At the end of the massive production, the 'How I Met Your Mother' star added, "That was all improvised." The host proved once again that he could host the Oscars with grace -- and a little bit of biting humor.
See the Oscars behind the scenes:
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