Tony Award Winner Hugh Jackman to Host 2009 Academy Awards

Tony winner Hugh Jackman will host the 81st annual Academy Awards, set to air live on February 22, 2009. Jackman already has three televised hosting credits to his name, having emceed the Tony Awards in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Jackman, who was recently dubbed the “Sexiest Man Alive” by People Magazine, joins a long line of Oscar hosts, including Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres and Jon Stewart, as well as fellow Broadway veterans Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal.

Jackman, best known to international audiences as the star of films including X-Men, Kate & Leopold, Van Helsing and The Fountain, won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his acclaimed performance in The Boy From Oz. The triple-threat also won a 2005 Emmy Award for his work as host of the 2004 Tony Awards.  He is the star of Baz Lurhmann film Australia, which is currently in theaters. The actor is expected to return to Broadway in 2010 as Houdini.