Jimmy Kimmel Opens with Quips and a Salute to Film Crews

On Sunday, Jimmy Kimmel returned to host his fourth Academy Awards, opening with a monologue that riffed on many of last year’s blockbuster movies, particularly “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” and poked fun at Hollywood’s biggest stars, including a string of jokes about Robert Downey Jr.’s past drug use.

After a traditional montage of nominated films, Kimmel was introduced to the audience in a video clip of him sitting at a bus stop beside Margot Robbie, the star of “Barbie.”

“You’re so beautiful,” Robbie told him in the clip. “I know,” he said. “I haven’t eaten in three weeks. I’m still hungry. I have to host the Oscars.”

He began his monologue by mentioning the monthslong strikes that paused most film and television production, and he saluted the actors and writers who pushed for a new deal with Hollywood studios.

“As a result, actors no longer have to worry about getting replaced by A.I.,” he said. “Thanks to this historic agreement, actors are now able to go back to worrying about being replaced by younger, more attractive people.”

Kimmel also cracked jokes about the “Anatomy of a Fall” dog Messi, the lengthy run time of “Killers of the Flower Moon” and the perceived snub of Greta Gerwig, who was not nominated for best director.

“I know you’re clapping but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her,” he told the audience.