Neil Patrick Harris presents Oscars in his white y-fronts

He's met with a mixed reception

Published 23rd Feb 2015

In tribute to Best Picture winner Birdman, Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris presented a segment of the show last night in nothing but his white y-fronts.

The 41-year-old How I Met Your Mother star re-enacted the infamous Birdman scene where Michael Keaton gets locked out of a Times Square, New York theatre in his underwear.

With cameras following him, a scantily-clad Harris was seen walking from his dressing room brushing floor runners aside before making his way onto the Dolby Theatre stage to agape mouths from the celebrity packed crowd.

Despite the stunt, Harris got a mixed reception from both critics and viewers sharing their thoughts on Twitter.

!

One divisive moment came when he poked fun at Dana Perry's dress moments after she dedicated her Best Short Subject Documentary Oscar (for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1) to her son who died from suicide.

Accepting her honour, Perry said: “I want to dedicate this to my son, Evan Perry, we lost him to suicide. We should talk about suicide out loud. This is for him. Thank you!”

In a cheeky swipe at Perry’s dress, Harris then joked: “It takes a lot of balls to wear a dress like that.”

Despite the reaction to the ill-timed joke, Perry has since dismissed the controversy saying: "I invite anyone to feel my furry balls."

PHOTO GALLERY: The Oscars 2015 Winners Gallery

PHOTO GALLERY: The Oscars 2015 Red Carpet

!