Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun at Will Smith Slap, Trolls Tom Cruise & James Cameron For Skipping Ceremony in Oscars 2023 Monologue - Watch Now

Jimmy Kimmel is kicking off the night!

The 55-year-old talk show host took to the stage at the 2023 Academy Awards as host for the evening on Sunday (March 12) held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

In his opening monologue, Jimmy joked about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock last year while also trolling Tom Cruise and James Cameron for skipping the ceremony.

Keep reading to find out more…

Jimmy joked that with five Irish actors nominated for Oscars, “the odds of another fight on stage just went way up.”

“We want you to feel safe, most importantly we want me to feel safe … so we have strict policies in place,” Jimmy continued. “If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence during this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech.”

“Seriously, the academy has a crisis team in place,” Jimmy added. “If anything unpredictable happens during the ceremony happens, just do what you did last year. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”

Jimmy then took aim at Tom and James for not attending the awards show.

“Tom Cruise and James Cameron didn’t show up,” Jimmy started. “The two guys who insisted we go to the theater didn’t go to the theater.”

“James Cameron is not here. You know a show is too long when even James Cameron can’t sit through it … Some of the critics are saying Jim Cameron isn’t here because he didn’t get a best director nomination,” Jimmy said. “And while I find that very hard to believe about a man of such deep humility, he does have a point. I mean, how does the Academy not nominate the guy who directed Avatar? What did they think he is, a woman?”

Jimmy did praise Tom‘s appearance in the beach volleyball scene in Top Gun: Maverick, before cracking a joke about Scientology.

“Tom Cruise with his shirt off? L. Ron Hubba Hubba,” Jimmy joked, referencing Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Make sure to tune in RIGHT NOW on ABC to watch the 2023 Oscars! Check out the full list of nominees here!