OSCARS CONAN O'BRIEN 'LET'S DO THIS THING!'

THE EMMY-WINNING FUNNYMAN AND FIRST-TIME ACADEMY AWARDS EMCEE IS SHOOTING FOR LEVITY AND ‘GOOD HAIR’ ON HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST NIGHT

- By ELIZABETH LEONARD

When Conan O'Brien takes the stage to host the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, one thing's a given: He'll be impressively limber. A fan of self-described "meaningless stretching" backstage before gigs, the 61-year-old comedy veteran says, "I will be wearing a tuxedo, but there's a good chance I'll be on the floor crossing my legs and pulling my thighs in to get the quad stretch.... I act as if I'm about to run a marathon."

In a way, he is. As O'Brien preps to host the toughest gig in show business for the first time—a culmination of months spent spitballing jokes, honing timely material and watching all 35 nominated feature films—he's eager to "lift people up" and honor the entertainment community beyond just its A-list stars. "It's a celebration of an entire industry and people from every walk of life who give their blood, sweat and tears for show business," says O'Brien, who's dad to kids Neve, 21, and Beckett, 19, with wife Liza, 54. This year's show, he hopes, will serve up laughs and heart, and yes he promises to keep his unruly ginger locks on point: "I don't want to let America down."

When you get the call to host, was it an easy yes?