Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris has said he doesn't like to be mean and plans to keep the ceremony "positive and buoyant".next Sunday night.
The 41-year-old actor told People magazine, "I don't like to be mean. It's such a celebration for everyone; I think it should stay positive and buoyant.
"Why, after getting nominated for a friggin' Oscar, would you want to get heckles? Not my thing."
He added that he has been practising saying the nominees' names ahead of the show, "I've always been keen on diction. And inflection. And pitch. And pace. We reveal a lot about ourselves by the way we communicate verbally. So there's quite a bit of vocal warming up."
One name that has been giving him particular trouble is Benedict Cumberbatch's. When asked how many times he has said 'Cumberbatch' in front of the mirror Harris replied, "2,086 times."
The 87th Annual Academy Awards take place in Hollywood on February 22.
