Chris Rock Reveals Which Actor Confronted Him Over Oscars Joke

“You want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law?” Rock teased. “Wait. It’s not the same thing, OK? Who is Jude Law? Why is he in every movie I have seen in the last four years? He’s in everything. Even the movies he’s not acting in. If you look at the credits, he made cupcakes or something.”

“He’s in everything. He’s gay, he’s straight, he’s American, he’s British,” he continued. “Next year, he’s playing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a movie. If you can’t get a star, wait. If you want Russell Crowe and all you can get is Colin Farrell, wait. It’s not the same thing.”

Although the audience was heard laughing along, Sean Penn defended his All the King’s Men costar later in the evening while presenting the Best Actress award to Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby.

“Forgive my compromised sense of humor,” he said, “but I did want to answer our host’s question about who Jude Law is. He’s one of our finest actors.”

Law, for his part, also shared his thoughts on the Everybody Hates Chris alum’s joke.

“At first I laughed, because I didn’t think he knew who I was,” he told The New York Times in September 2006. “Then I got angry as his remarks, I felt, became more personal. My friends were livid. I was moved when Sean came to my defense.”

“As a celebrity, I know I’m fair game for a lot of things that I don’t like,” the now-53-year-old continued, “but Rock crossed the line when he made his point and got his laugh, then seemingly wouldn’t stop. It’s very unfortunate that I had five or six films come out at the same time. However, I had no control over that.”

The Holiday star even offered pointed advice to the Academy if Rock hosted again (which he did in 2022 when Will Smith slapped him onstage).

“The proof’s in the pudding,” Law told the outlet. “If you can’t get Billy Crystal, then wait.”

Rock’s joke wasn’t the only shocking highlight from the Oscars over the years. Keep reading for some of the biggest moments to ever come out of the award show.