Host Conan O'Brien plans to set right tone on Oscar Sunday

LOS ANGELES -- The Eaton and Palisades fires will be acknowledged during the Oscar ceremony on Sunday.

It's personal to host Conan O'Brien, whose assistant lost her home in Altadena.

"The Oscars is a show that is very much a hometown show. It's a Los Angeles show, so what's happened here needs to be addressed," O'Brien said while wearing a shirt that read Altadena. "It's a celebration of hard work that's been done by many people."

O'Brien thinks the Oscars should lift people up and get people back to work.

"There's a needle to thread, there's a line to walk, and I'm determined to do that correctly," he said. "But I want to make sure there's humor, that we have some fun, and that we have some joy."

O'Brien was asked about a promotional poster that sees him transformed into an Oscar statue.

"Isn't it cool? I can say that because it wasn't my idea," laughed O'Brien. "All I've ever wanted to do is not be taken seriously and try to make people laugh.

"That's why I really like what that image represents. Yes, it's the Oscars, yes it's this iconic show, yes these are difficult times, but I'm still going to be me."

March 2 is Oscar Sunday! Watch the 2025 Oscars live on ABC and Hulu.

Live red carpet coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. PT with "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars."

Watch all the action on the red carpet live on ABC, streaming live on OnTheRedCarpet.com and on the On the Red Carpet Facebook and YouTube pages.

The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O'Brien, begins at 7 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. PT. and will be followed by a special preview of "American Idol."

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