Neil Patrick Harris
The How I Met Your Mother star hosts the Oscars for the first time. Reuters

Neil Patrick Harris has admitted to being nervous as he prepares to host the Academy Awards on Sunday (February 23).

Speaking on Good Morning America the 41-year-old said while he is apprehensive ahead of the eagerly anticipated global event, he is optimistic about the show.

"I know what is going to happen: I know that four days out, three days out, I'll think everything is wrong and it's terrible. And it'll all turn out okay."'

The Gone Girl actor who is President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle, said he might be tempted to incorporate some magic tricks into the evening.

"It doesn't have to be sawing a woman in half," he joked.

While it's his first time hosting the Academy Awards, Harris has previously hosted the Tony Awards four times and the Emmys in 2013.

He said finding original jokes for the event is far from easy.

"It's a tricky process. I'm finding good jokes that we had that are funny and strong, then I'll watch a late-night talk show and they'll say the same joke ... the Grammys, arrrgh! Saturday Night Live, arrrgh!... I just want everyone to stop talking until Monday!"

The actor also admitted that he was "having nightmares" about how to top Ellen DeGeneres's selfie moment as the host of last year's Oscars.

In 2014, the chat show host pulled out her phone and took a star-studded selfie with Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The image went viral and caused Twitter to crash.

While the How I Met Your Mother star prepares to make his Oscars hosting debut, he follows in the footsteps of some illustrious stars including Billy Crystal, who hosted the event a total of nine times over, and Ellen DeGeneres, who has only hosted Hollywood's biggest night twice.

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