Oscars: Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman return as presenters

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Published on February 22, 2013 02:47PM EST

Oscars Jack Nicholson — Photo: Reed Saxon/AP

Heeeeere’s your Oscar!

No, that’s too easy. How about: “I want you to hold this trophy … between your knees.”

Jack Nicholson will serve as a presenter at the Academy Awards this Sunday, ending several years of absence for the man whose sinister grin was a front-row mainstay at the show for decades.

He’s bringing with him another Oscar veteran: Dustin Hoffman.

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced the coup this morning as the clock ticks down to Sunday’s show. The two have an in with The Man Who Wears Sunglasses Indoors — they produced his last starring role, 2007’s The Bucket List.

It’s not clear which award Nicholson and Hoffman will be presenting, or even if they’ll be handing out the same honor together, but starpower like that is normally reserved only for the biggest prizes of the night.

Nicholson’s five years as a no-show at the Oscars was unusual since he has often admitted to being a massive fan of the ceremony — and is especially fond of leaving his front-row seat and wandering around the wings of the stage throughout the telecast. The last time he appeared was in 2008, presenting a clip reel at the 80th annual ceremony featuring all of the past Best Picture winners. “What can I say? I’m an Oscar man,” he told USA Today‘s Scott Bowles that year.

Both Nicholson and Hoffman have their own long histories as winners and nominees. Nicholson has been nominated 12 times and won three — Best Actor for 1975’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and 1997’s As Good as It Gets (pictured above), and Supporting Actor for 1983’s Terms of Endearment.

Hoffman has had seven nominations and won Best Actor for 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer and 1988’s Rain Man.

“Between the two of them, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman have created more iconic characters than any other pair of actors in the world,” Zadan and Meron said in a statement. “Their participation in this year’s Oscars completes a list of presenters and performers that truly represents that great breadth and depth of acting talent in film today.”

Sunday’s show, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, will be a musical-themed event. But something tells us Hoffman and Nicholson won’t be among the crooners.

Unless maybe Jack feels like reprising his role from Tommy.

For news from backstage at the Oscars on Sunday

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