Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might have made a surprise appearance at the 2022 Oscars if co-host Amy Schumer had her way.
The comedian revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show she pitched the idea of featuring Zelensky at Sunday's awards ceremony amid Russia's invasion of his country.
"I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape or something just because there's so many eyes on the Oscars," Schumer said.
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Schumer is hosting Sunday's Oscars alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. Her revelation about Zelensky came after Barrymore asked how the Oscars will, or will not, address the Ukraine invasion.
"There's definitely pressure in one way to be like, 'This is a vacation, let people forget. We just want to have this night,'" Schumer said. "But it's like, well, we have so many eyes and ears on this show, I think it's a great opportunity to at least comment on a couple of things. So I have some jokes that highlight the current condition."
Schumer didn't provide details about why inviting Zelensky apparently didn't pan out, but she appeared to suggest producers rejected the idea, noting, "It's not me producing the Oscars." Awards ceremonies prior to the Oscars have featured numerous references to the war in Ukraine during acceptance speeches.
Will Packer, the producer of the 2022 Oscars, was asked a similar question about how to approach an awards show in light of the war in Ukraine in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
"I think that you go in the other direction," Packer said. "I think that there are a lot of conversations, and spaces, and platforms that are dealing with one of the most tumultuous times, especially if you take the last few years, in humankind history. I want to go in the opposite direction with this show. I want this to be an escape. I think you asked about tone: fun and celebratory."
