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    Hasan Minhaj ready to lean into silliness at Spirit Awards

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1479 Views
    Hasan Minhaj performs at the 13th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit concert in support of the Bob Woodruff Foundation at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019, in New York. Minhaj will host the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 4. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)

    By Lindsey Bahr

    --

    For comedian Hasan Minhaj, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is the ideal hosting gig.

    "Low pressure. Low downside. All upside," Minhaj said. "That's the sweet spot for me."

    Set for Saturday, it'll be one of the last movie award stops before the big Oscar night for many of this year's top nominees including "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which has a leading eight nominations including best feature, best director, best lead actor for Michelle Yeoh, supporting actors Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis and breakthrough for Stephanie Hsu.

    There are plenty of Oscar nominees in the bunch: Cate Blanchett and director Todd Field for "Tár," Paul Mescal for "Aftersun," Andrea Riseborough for "To Leslie," Brian Tyree Henry for "Causeway" and Sarah Polley for "Women Talking" among them. But the Spirit Awards also go beyond the typical awards season fare, recognizing great performances and work in smaller films like "The Inspection," "Emily the Criminal," "Pearl" and "Palm Trees and Power Lines." And there are no "Avatars" or "Top Guns" here — the budget cap for eligibility is $30 million.

    The show also honors television with nominees including "The Bear," "Severance," "Station Eleven" and actors like Quinta Brunson ("Abbott Elementary"), Melanie Lynskey ("Yellowjackets"), Mohammed Amer ("Mo") and Aml Ameen ("The Porter").

    Minhaj, known for his Peabody Award-winning show "Patriot Act," stand-up specials like "Homecoming King" and his work on "The Daily Show," is excited to join the ranks of recent previous hosts like Aubrey Plaza, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll and last year's Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.

    "I just love how fun and irreverent the show can be," he said. "Even the people that are attending, they're down to do bits and that part of it is really fun and cool."

    Minhaj is no stranger to the terror of the room with a bad vibe. He took the podium at the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner, after all.

    "The White House Correspondents Dinner very much feels like an away game. Like going to another person's party and hosting it," he said. "And generally the feedback in the room is not great, whether it's from the administration or the media outlets you're making fun of. This gig is very different."

    He promises a lot of "cutaways" and "props" and, of course a celebration of independent film and television.

    "Everyone's kind of in on the joke. We know that we're day drinking in a tent in Santa Monica a week before the Oscars," Minhaj said. "It's good vibes surrounded by incredibly talented people that aren't taking themselves too seriously. It's a perfect cocktail for a great show."

    The 38th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards will be streamed live on IMDb and Film Independent's YouTube channels beginning at 5 p.m. ET on March 4.

    Lindsey Bahr is an AP film writer

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    Tags:Film Independent Spirit AwardsHasan Minhaj



    Actor Timothy Busfield released from New Mexico jail pending trial

    Tuesday, January 20, 2026
    Director and actor Timothy Busfield appears at a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Albuquerque, N.M. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital Pool Photo via AP)

    Actor Timothy Busfield was released from jail Tuesday night in New Mexico, where he is facing counts of child sexual abuse. Hours earlier, Busfield's attorneys successfully argued that the actor best known for appearances in "The West Wing," "Field of Dreams" and "Thirtysomething" wasn't a danger to the community and shouldn't be behind bars while he awaits trial. Prosecutors sought to keep him in jail, outlining what they said was grooming behavior and abuse of power by Busfield over three decades. State District Court Judge David Murphy said while the crimes Busfield is accused of inherently are dangerous and involve children, prosecutors didn't prove the public wouldn't be safe if he's released. "There's no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct, there are no similar allegations involving children in his past," Murphy said. "Rather this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court's jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest." Outside the courthouse, Busfield's wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, thanked Murphy for the ruling. She also thanked friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers who she said have showered their family with love. Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to '80s TV series "Little House on the Prairie," sat behind Busfield during the hearing. He was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit. Prosecutors declined to comment on the ruling. Busfield is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse while working as a director on the set of the TV series "The Cleaning Lady," allegations that he denies. He was booked into jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in. According to the criminal complaint,... Read More

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