We're in the age of the Celebrity Olympics Correspondent, and while it's cringe for some, it's definitely working for most viewers. Snoop Dogg is practically Team USA's mascot at this point, showing out for his second Games in Milan Cortina, while Stanley Tucci's providing a wonderful counter with his more subdued, relaxed peeks into Milanese culture.
It's a fun time, and while celebrities covering the Olympics isn't a new trend, it's also clearly one that's not fading any time soon. That means that, with the LA Summer Games approaching in 2028 and the Winter Games heading to the French Alps in 2030, a lot of Olympics fans are building their dream correspondent lists.
Well, I'm no different. Watching the Games the other night, I wondered to myself who I'd pick as a celebrity Olympics correspondent if given the opportunity and the ability to name any living celebrity to the job. The answer came quickly, and without a single second thought.
The perfect Olympics Celebrity Correspondent is comedian, actor, and recent Taskmaster All-Star, Jason Mantzoukas.
You know Mantzoukas even if you don't recognize his name right away, because he's built a reputation over the last decade or so as the comedic actor you call when you need to cast a Lovable Crazy Person. On The League, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and even in the John Wick films, he's a delightful wild card who adds a sense of unpredictability to any scene he plays.
Obviously, getting a comedic actor out there at the Games is a welcome idea, as anyone who's seen and enjoyed Leslie Jones's run as a correspondent can tell you. Gifted comedians bring enthusiasm and buoyancy, but they also add an element of daring fun to things, giving both athletes and viewers a sense of unbridled joy as they simply play in the space of the Games. So, what makes Mantzoukas perfectly suited to do exactly that?
Well…
Mantzoukas, if you're down with his vibe, is a delight in just about anything, but for my money his work on the UK competition series Taskmaster is the best thing he's ever done, because it illustrates how much Mantzoukas the person and Mantzoukas the performer can seamlessly intertwine. He certainly has a reputation as an agent of chaos – his motto during Taskmaster was "Destroy, Dismantle, Engulf in Flames" – but there's also a mind at work there. He's able to think around scenarios not just to find the best way to express himself, but the most entertaining way. He's crazy like a fox, in other words, always ready to do whatever it takes to maximize the enjoyment of his audience and the people around him.
So, with all that in mind, picture Mantzoukas at these winter Olympics right now, doing exactly the kind of thing Snoop's doing. I can see Jason Mantzoukas going up to biathlon competitors and asking "Quick question, can I shoot the gun while I'm skiing?" I can see him daring to do a two-man luge run with the help of another competitor, or zipping up in a skin suit to try short track speed skating, or even trying to learn how to backflip from Ilia Malanin. All of this and more wrapped up in one adorably deranged package.
I know it's a long shot, and frankly I have no idea if Mantzoukas would even be interested in this kind of thing. What I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt, though, is that he'd be great at it, and while we're throwing celebrities at the Olympics left and right, he should get his shot at Olympic correspondent glory. Hope you're listening, producers working on the 2028 Games!
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