Conan O'Brien kicked off the 2025 Oscars by calling out best actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón in his opening monologue.
"[Best picture nominee] 'Anora' uses the f-word 479 times -- that's three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón's publicist," O'Brien joked.
O’Brien pointed to Gascón in the audience, saying to her, "Karla, if you are gonna tweet about the Oscars, remember -- my name is Jimmy Kimmel."
Gascón, who is up for best actress for her role in "Emilia Pérez," has come under fire during award season after some of her past Islamophobic, racist and otherwise offensive remarks on social media came to light.
After the comments resurfaced, Gascón shared a statement with Variety apologizing "to those I have caused pain."
O’Brien also called out best actor nominee Timothée Chalamet, poking fun at his bright yellow suit.
"Love that suit. You will not get hit on your bike tonight!" he said, as Chalamet and Kylie Jenner laughed.
Chalamet is nominated for his portrayal of the reclusive Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown."
"Bob Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly," O’Brien joked.
Highlighting several Oscar movies, O'Brien said in his monologue, "'A Complete Unknown,' 'A Real Pain,' 'Nosferatu' -- these are just some of the names I was called on the red carpet. I think two were fair."
"Netflix is leading the studios with an impressive 18 ... price increases," he joked. "I think they can beat that next year!"
Before the first-time Oscars host even took the stage, he poked fun at best picture nominee "The Substance" in a skit of him climbing out of and then into Demi Moore's character to find his lost shoe.
O'Brien ended his monologue with a touching tribute to the film industry and the role of the Oscars.
The Oscars "shines a light on an incredible community of people you will never see: crafts people, artisans, technicians, costumers," he said, as the crowd applauded.
"They're not famous, they're not wealthy. But they are devoted to a craft that can, in moments, bring us all a little closer together," he said.
Each year the Oscars celebrates "an art form that has the power, at its very best, to unite us," the first-time Oscars host said. "Even in the face of terrible wildfires and divisive politics ... the work continues."
O'Brien also joked about how he envisioned the Oscars and him evolving.
"And next year, and for years to come ... this seemingly absurd ritual is going to be here. I will not," he said, as the crowd laughed. "I'm leaving Hollywood to run a bed and breakfast in Orlando. ... But the magic, the madness, the grandeur and the joy of film worldwide is going to be with us forever."
Ahead of the 97th Academy Awards, O'Brien said that he had enjoyed the process of preparing for the show.
"I have a big happy grin, yeah," O'Brien told "Good Morning America's" Lara Spencer. "I have an amazing team of writers. We have been going through tons of ideas, and I'm excited because I grew up watching the Oscars, and it is something [that's] imprinted on my memory."
He continued, "I dreamed of, like, being a seat filler at the Oscars. I never thought, 'Oh, I'll host the Oscars.' I always kept my dreams very attainable."
Conan O'Brien on how he's preparing to host the 2025 OscarsThe longtime comedian, who is best known for hosting "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" from 1993 to 2009, previously told ABC News' Chris Connelly that anything is possible for his first time as Oscars host.
"If you like close-up magic tricks, you'll be very happy with my Oscars performance," he said.
