Chris Rock at the Oscars: He sets a condition to return, four years after Will Smith’s slap
Four years after the slap he received from Will Smith on the Oscars stage, Chris Rock explains that he would only return to the ceremony on one condition: being nominated himself.
SUMMARY
Chris Rock does not plan to return to the Oscars as a mere guest. In an interview with Variety published on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the American comedian and director explained that he would only return to the ceremony if he were nominated himself, four years after the slap from Will Smith that marked the 2022 edition.
At 61, Chris Rock is therefore not completely closing the door on the Academy, but he remains unconvinced by the prospect of a forthcoming nomination. He mainly wants to prevent the 2022 incident from overshadowing his new projects, as he prepares to launch his next film.
Questioned once again about Will Smith’s slap, the former Oscars host adopts a much more detached tone than the day after the incident. He insists that he would have preferred for nothing to happen, while now considering that this episode should not be regarded as the most important event in his career.
The scene had gone viral worldwide on March 27, 2022. Will Smith went on stage and struck Chris Rock after a joke targeting Jada Pinkett Smith. The actor then apologized, resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was banned from its events, including the Oscars, for ten years.
“Misty Green,” the return of Chris Rock behind the camera
Chris Rock’s new revelations come as he returns to directing with Misty Green, his first feature film behind the camera since Top Five, released in 2014. The film follows a once-famous actress who tries to revive her career in Hollywood while facing significant personal challenges.
Rosalind Eleazar plays the lead role, alongside Daniel Kaluuya, Adam Driver, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Rock. The film is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2026, before a theatrical release in the United States scheduled for October 9 under the A24 banner.
Chris Rock also remains cautious about the idea of returning as host of the Oscars. Without definitively ruling out this possibility, he suggests that this phase of his career might belong to the past, now preferring to focus on his work as a director and on promoting Misty Green.
Comments