Comedian Aziz Ansari picked to host the 19th annual MTV Movie Awards

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Aziz Ansari to host 19th annual MTV Movie Awards

LOS ANGELES — Aziz Ansari says he’s preparing to host his first awards show, the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, by stalking veteran Oscar host Billy Crystal.

“I’m outside of his house right now,” Ansari joked by phone Monday. “I’ve just kind of been watching Crystal from afar, outside his property.”

MTV said Ansari, the 27-year-old star of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” will host the awards on June 6.

Network general manager Stephen Friedman said viewers loved Ansari on “Human Giant,” the sketch comedy show he created, which ran on MTV for two seasons in 2007 and 2008.

Friedman called Ansari the perfect host for the movie industry’s most rebellious night on television.

The MTV Movie Awards honor the year’s best films in categories including best kiss, best fight and best global superstar.

“It’s a cool job for me because it allows me to do a lot of things I enjoy doing,” Ansari said. “With the monologue, I get to use my standup skill, and I love making short films and stuff, and that’s another thing the host gets to do.”

The actor-comedian said he consulted his friends and past MTV Movie Awards hosts Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg and Ben Stiller for advice.

“It’s all a ploy to get a hosting gig with the Teen Choice Awards next year,” Ansari said with a laugh. “Or the Nickelodeon Toddler’s Choice Awards, that’s what I really want to host.”

Ansari is set to begin his “Dangerously Delicious” standup tour this summer and can be seen in the film “Get Him to the Greek,” a comedy starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand due in June.

Fans can vote online for the winners of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, which will be presented during a live broadcast from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

On the Net:

www.mtv.com/