Oscars host Seth starts the show

Feb 25 2013

This year's Oscars kicked off with host Seth MacFarlane introducing the show.

MacFarlane, the man behind hit cartoon Family Guy, said he could not believe he was presenting this year's awards.

He poked fun at the Academy for not nominating Ben Affleck for his work directing Argo about a CIA scheme to free American hostages in Iran, saying it was "so top secret the film's director is unknown to the academy".

MacFarlane was then joined in a sketch by a videolink featuring William Shatner as Captain Kirk who told him he was "incredibly offensive" and played a clip of him singing a song listing films where star actresses appeared topless.

He was then joined on stage by Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum who danced as he sang Just The Way You Look Tonight. That was followed by a spoof of Denzel Washington's Flight, about an alcoholic drug addict airline pilot, acted out with sock puppets. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe then joined Joseph Gordon-Levitt and MacFarlane on stage to sing High Hopes.

Christoph Waltz won the first big award of the night when was was named best supporting actor for Django Unchained.

The actor praised the film's director and his "hero" Quentin Tarantino for his work on the western.