Chris Rock Sets One Condition For Oscars Return And Says He Wants To Move On

Chris Rock made it clear he wants to move on from the 2022 Oscars altercation, stating he will not return to the ceremony unless he receives a nomination.

The veteran comedian has spent decades performing at the highest levels of entertainment.

Yet the public continues to ask him about a single broadcast from years ago.

Now, the 61-year-old performer is making his position on the matter completely transparent.

THE NOMINATION CONDITION

The conversation surrounding Rock's potential return to the Academy Awards resurfaced during a comprehensive interview for GQ's Men of the Year issue.

Journalist Zach Baron questioned the comedian about comments he made earlier in the fall.

Rock had previously addressed the topic during a September conversation with the trade publication Variety.

During that earlier discussion, Rock had established a firm rule for attending the prestigious Hollywood gala.

"The only way I’ll go back is if I’m nominated, and I’m not getting nominated," Rock stated at the time.

He had also encouraged people to keep their expectations grounded regarding his awards show presence.

"And that’s OK," he added during the September exchange.

"We’ll deal with that if it happens."

"Like, let’s manage expectations."

Rock also took time during that conversation to praise Conan O'Brien for his work as an awards show host.

He clarified that he was not actively lobbying for another opportunity to helm the Oscars telecast.

NO THREATS INTENDED

When asked to revisit those remarks in the GQ interview published on November 3, Rock offered further context.

He wanted to ensure that nobody misread his absence as an aggressive boycott or political statement against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"I mean, it’s not like a threat or anything," Rock explained.

"I’m just saying it’s okay."

"Whatever happened happened."

"Everybody saw it."

"I don’t really like talking about it."

He quickly noted that his reluctance to discuss the matter extends well beyond the Oscars stage.

"By the way—any awards show," he added.

An invitation back to the ceremony is simply not a significant selling point for the comic right now.

His choice to stay away is rooted in a desire to stop rehashing the most uncomfortable moment of his professional life.

MOVING BEYOND THAT CRAZY NIGHT

Rock candidly assessed the reality of the incident and its lingering shadow.

"Something happened. It wasn’t cool. And I would like to move on."

The comedian acknowledged that he had already built a celebrated legacy long before that broadcast took place.

"I had a nice career before it, and I know there’s a part of that that’s going to follow me the rest of my life," he stated.

Still, Rock refuses to let a single broadcast define decades of stand-up and filmmaking achievements.

He emphasized that his present schedule is packed with creative work.

"I got jokes," Rock remarked during the interview.

"I got scripts."

"I got movie scripts."

"I got TV shows."

"I’m writing a book."

"I’m doing shit."

He wants the focus of fans and critics to land squarely on the art he is generating today.

"I have a plethora of art I’m trying to get out, and that’s what I want you to pay attention to, not some crazy night," he added.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE 94TH ACADEMY AWARDS

The incident in question occurred live on global television during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony in March 2022.

Rock walked out onto the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to present the award for Best Documentary Feature.

During his onstage routine, Rock delivered a joke directed at Jada Pinkett Smith regarding her shaved head.

The remark prompted her husband, A-list actor Will Smith, to walk up onto the stage.

Smith confronted Rock directly and slapped him across the face on live television.

The shocking confrontation stunned the celebrity audience inside the auditorium and millions of viewers watching at home.

Later that evening, Smith returned to the stage to accept the Academy Award for Best Actor.

In the aftermath of the broadcast, Smith issued a public apology for his actions.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences subsequently handed Smith a 10-year ban from attending all Academy events, including the annual Oscars ceremony.

ADDRESSING THE FALLOUT ON STAGE

For months following the altercation, Rock largely avoided addressing the incident in press interviews.

He chose instead to process the experience privately while continuing to tour across the country.

Rock eventually tackled the confrontation head-on during his 2023 live Netflix comedy special, titled Selective Outrage.

The special allowed Rock to speak about the incident before a worldwide streaming audience on his own terms.

Having delivered his take on stage, the comedian has grown increasingly reluctant to revisit the confrontation in subsequent conversations.

He has reached a stage in his life where looking backward provides little value to his craft.

A BUSY SLATE OF NEW WORK

Rock's push for audiences to focus on his work comes alongside major developments in his cinematic output.

Fans have noted a considerable 12-year gap between his 2014 directorial comedy film Top Five and his upcoming A24 film Misty Green.

Rock explained that the long stretch between film projects was driven largely by significant disruptions in his personal and financial life.

A major factor in that timeline was his divorce from his former wife, Malaak Compton-Rock.

"Some of it is I got divorced," Rock explained to GQ.

"Nobody has a successful divorce, so that takes time."

Rock pointed out the severe financial adjustments that inevitably accompany the end of a long-term marriage.

"Then once it’s done, okay, you’re not sitting on the money you had before, so now you got to really make some money," he shared.

To rebuild his financial foundation, Rock returned aggressively to his primary craft of live stand-up.

"So you go on tour, or two tours," he said.

"So there was a lot of stand-up."

"There was a lot of getting my life together."

He also cited global events that slowed down Hollywood as a whole.

"You got a pandemic, you got a bunch of nonsense going on there," Rock added.