Justin Theroux says the Oscars need Best Comedy, not Most Popular category: 'I want to see Judd Apatow win an Oscar'

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Amid a bit of Hollywood frenzy, Justin Theroux is a voice of reason.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced major backlash since announcing a new "Best Picture" category designed to reward big-budget, mass-audience flicks. Theroux, chatting with AOL at the grand opening of INTERSECT by Lexus, has some polite feedback for the Academy: New categories could be great, but this one missed the mark.

"I want a comedy category. That's what I want," Theroux said emphatically. "I want to see someone like Jim Carrey back in the day win and Oscar. I want to see Judd Apatow win an Oscar. Jonah Hill. All the wonderful comedic work they do. I would love a comedy category before a 'Most Popular' category."

(Notably, Jonah Hill has been nominated twice for Academy Awards, but not for roles in comedies.)

Of billion-dollar franchises like "Star Wars' and "Avengers," Theroux noted, "Listen, those films get their rewards in huge box offices."

That said, Theroux, who appears in the upcoming "Bumblebee" -- the latest in the massively successful "Transformers" franchise -- has nothing but positive things to say about working on the sure-to-be hit.

"It's really adorable," he said. "It's a weird movie, sort of a coming-of-age story. Very tender, but at the same time very Transformers-y."

Theroux can currently be seen in "The Spy Who Dumped Me," in theaters now.