Jimmy Kimmel is taking this week off, but ABC is pulling out all the stops to find substitute hosts for the comedian’s talk show. Kimmel’s infant son is in recovery from a successful heart surgery earlier today, and Kimmel will take the week to spend time with his family. In his place, some A-listers will try their hand behind the desk.
Tonight, Chris Pratt will host Jimmy Kimmel Live. He’ll be joined by guest Margot Robbie, though it won’t be the meeting of Star Lord and Harley Quinn that fans might hope for. Robbie will be talking about her starring role in I, Tonya — due out this Friday. After that, Pratt will be joined by musical guest Chris Stapleton.
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Tomorrow night, black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross will host the show in Kimmel’s stead. She’ll be joined by Mary J. Blige and author Amanda de Cadenet as guests.
Neil Patrick Harris will cover for Kimmel on Wednesday. The child-actor-turned-Broadway-star will chat with The Crown‘s Vanessa Kirby and an animal handler named Jules Sylvester.
Finally, to round out the week, Melissa McCarthy will host the show on Thursday night. Her guests will be Octavia Spencer, fresh off of Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water, and Dave Franco, promoting The Disaster Artist. Hopefully McCarthy can command a crowd as easily in her own persona as she did while playing former Press Secretary Sean Spicer over the summer.
Kimmel will return to late night in person next week. His son’s surgery has already been deemed a success, and the host and his family will enjoy a quiet week of recovery together.
