Luke Bryan, ACM Awards: Co-Host Gives Jason Aldean Props for Prep Help
With Sunday night's (April 7) ACM Awards live telecast right around the corner, it would seem likely that the show's co-host, Luke Bryan, would anxiously be rehearsing his lines and memorizing every move for the three-hour ceremony. But it turns out the Georgia native, who will share hosting duties with Blake Shelton, is planning on keeping things as unscripted as possible -- and he has his former tour boss, Jason Aldean, to thank for helping him keep his cool.
"I think it was a really important year for me, last year, to not rush headlining, and being out there with Jason," Luke told The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event. "Jason let me be what I wanted to be on stage. When I get really planned out and heady with stuff, I can almost get myself in more trouble. Spontaneity is a fun part about it for me. Walking the fine line of spontaneity but staying with a script is going to be the funny part. When I do start getting tongue-tied, I'll have to look down at him and I'm sure he'll be winking at me and bent over in his chair laughing. It will be a fun night."
Luke, who joined Jason on his Night Train trek, took away plenty of lessons from watching the county superstar perform night after night.
"Everybody has that friend [who's] the silent type and that tells you he's very intelligent," Luke explains. "I think that's a very awesome quality in those types of people, when they sit back, judge the room, wait methodically on what they say, and when they say it they're typically right on the money with it. That's what Jason is. I'm the one that says all their feelings, talks too much, has to apologize five times about it and can somehow craft my way out of a lot of it. too. But that's my personality. I do better off-the-cuff."
Although Luke isn't battling nerves when it comes to co-hosting the ACMs, that doesn't mean he's planning a future TV career.
"The reason I'm scared of acting is I'm afraid I'd see myself and I'd be one of those 'B' actors, that [make me] go, 'That's a horrible actor," he notes. "I never want to be that. I want to be comfortable on TV. If I'm comfortable, they're comfortable watching me. I think nothing's more icky than watching icky on TV. So, I'm going to try and do that and have fun with it. Preparation and prayer ought to get you ready for anything."
The 48th Annual ACM Awards will air live from Las Vegas, Sunday, April 7, at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.
Watch Luke Bryan's "Buzzkill" Video