Dwayne Johnson Reveals Why He Turned Down Hosting the Emmys

The Emmy Awards are in the pop culture spotlight this week, after the nominations for the 74th annual primetime event were announced on Tuesday. As we get closer to the ceremony airing on NBC in September, there's still the question of who will ultimately host the proceedings. Rumors recently began to swirl suggesting that both Chris Rock and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson were informally approached to host the 2022 Emmys, only for a report on Wednesday to reveal that Rock had turned down the gig. In a subsequent interview with ET Johnson has now revealed that he also turned down hosting the 2022 Emmys, and exactly why that happened.

"It was just schedule," Johnson explained. "I was really, truly honored when they came to me and asked, but it was just a scheduling thing. That's all. That's really what it comes down to."

Meanwhile, reports are indicating that Rock turned down the job in order to better focus on his comedy tour and upcoming special. Additionally, the source indicated that Rock is "over" Hollywood, and wants to travel and lay low once his tour concludes. According to a representative from the TV Academy cited in the report, the Emmys are still searching for a host, and are apparently not considering "going hostless." It was previously reported that talent from NBC and Peacock would be considered.

"He's in the middle of his tour and is preparing for the taping of his comedy special, which will be taping this fall," the source in the report explained.

Johnson was previously courted to host the Academy Awards, with the actor offered the job in 2019 before backing out due to filming conflicts, leading to the ceremony going "hostless." He was also rumored to be in the mix to host the 2022 Oscars.

"We were going to turn the Oscars on their head this year and make it something special and unique and different, and start a new era of how Oscars are going to be enjoyed," Johnson explained in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "That was the goal — audience first. I wanted to try and create a scenario where, at the end of the night, my friends who won, my friends who didn't win, all had, despite not winning, had the greatest time. That was the goal. So — one day."

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