STEPHEN CURRY
Quick-fire Q&A
The 42-year-old actor returns as host of the 60th AACTA Awards and tells WHO about what he has planned for the big night.
Are you looking forward to hosting this year’s AACTAS? Do you get nervous at all? I’m so excited about hosting again. It’s been 10 years since I hosted so I can use all the same jokes and no-one will notice. I get more nervous than I would doing an acting role, but only in about the last 10 seconds before I go on stage. You invariably have a moment where you say to yourself, “Wow, you really think this is a good idea? Good luck, idiot.” You also hosted the 50th AACTAS. How does it feel to be the go-to guy for big events? I only do round numbers. It’s in my contract. You took to the stage to Choirboys’ “Run to Paradise” last time. How will you top that? Keep this under your hat, but I’m tossing up between Nikki Webster’s “Strawberry Kisses” and Peter Andre’s a cappella version of “Shaddap You Face” – both very powerful, seminal pieces of music, which will surely tell the audience, “I’ve arrived and I may not be wearing clothes later.” Do you write all your own jokes or work with other writers? Who or what is in your line of fire? I like to write my own material. I work closely with head writer for the ceremony Adam Zwar – he tells me which jokes are working, which ones to tweak and which ones to never say again, even if I’m alone in a dark, soundproof room. In terms of “in my line of fire,” that’s not really my shtick. As an audience member, I can’t stand mean humour, which seems to be a go-to for a lot of hosts. What have you learnt about hosting over the years? Hosts should always subscribe to the less-ismore theory. How do you feel about awards shows in general and being nominated? I quite enjoy an awards show. Being nominated is comforting, but then being beaten by a 9-year-old boy, as I was last year [when Lion’s Sunny Pawar won Best Lead Actor], is a reminder you ain’t that good.