Oscars 2010: Two Hosts For First Time Ever

Alec Baldwin photo credit INFDaily.com.

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will run the Oscars together.

Hollywood's biggest night will be bigger than ever. The 2010 Oscars on March 7 will feature co-hosts for the first time ever, as Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin take the stage together. How is first-time Oscar host Baldwin handling the pressure? "All the pressure is on Steve Martin," he said.

Indeed half-joking Alec Baldwin appears to be relieved that he's hosting with an Oscar vet: "Steve Martin has done this before, while for me it is the first time." Fifty-one-year-old Baldwin who found a second wind in his career thanks to 30 Rock recently posed with Steve Martin, 64, in an Oscars promo shoot as the pair busted each other's chops, suggesting that one was stealing the spotlight from the other. It's clear while Baldwin may be a little nervous about the gig, nothing could pull him away from it now: "I am doing it until they change their mind."

Meanwhile old pro Steve Martin also appeared a little hesitant about his close up, as he asked producers of ABC's Oscar promos whether he should do glasses or no glasses (they wound up with glasses). He and Baldwin played tug-of-war over an Oscar statuette but obviously have a great fondness for each other.

How did Oscar production execs know the two would work well together? Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin "are so funny together," said Adam Schenkman, producer of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Schenkman said with the Martin-Baldwin casting, he's "restoring some energy into a night that's generally thought of as serious...but serious isn't always the most entertaining." He said that Steve Martin brings an element of Oscar tradition to the stage but said that Baldwin is the "dark wild card" who will keep the entire production on its toes. Schenkman said Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin be a great pairing reminiscent of the classic comedy days of teams like Abbott and Costello.

What kind of material will they have to work with? Check out our complete list of nominees to find out.