Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett to present at Aussie AACTA Awards

The presenters for this year's AACTA Awards have been revealed.

The King's Speech actor Geoffrey Rush has agreed to run proceedings at the awards ceremony previously dubbed the 'Aussie Oscars' when it takes place on January 31 at the Sydney Opera House.

According to the Herald Sun, Rush will be joined by various presenters including Cate Blanchett, Rachael Taylor, Lincoln Lewis, siblings Anthony and Jonathan LaPaglia, Xavier Samuel and Rob Carlton.

Carlton, who is nominated as 'Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama' for his portrayal of media mogul Kerry Packer in ABC's Paper Giants, said that he would play his presenting role by ear. "Here's my tactics," he said. "If you're towards the end of the night and you don't have comedy gold, you just get straight to it.

"If you're in the middle of the night and things have been a little dry, you try to throw in an observation, so long as it's not a complete U-turn. The key is to make sure you look like you're having fun, so then if you bomb at least people can smile along with you as you're falling down in front of them.''

Carlton also revealed that he has tough competition in his category from Alex Dimitriades, Jonathan LaPaglia and Don Haney. His Paper Giants co-star Asher Keddie, who played magazine editor Ita Buttrose, is also nominated for 'Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama'.

He said that he would feel "terror" and "dread" while making the show, saying: "I'd get home from shooting, last thought before bed: Packer. Then I'd dream about the bugger. Then wake up: dread, Packer. In the middle of that kind of anxiety, you do not start dreaming about how well it's going to go.''

Other presenters at the AACTAs include Adam Elliot, Todd Lasance, Shane Bourne, Gigi Edgley, Blake Davis, Richard Wilkins and Samara Weaving. Olivia Newton-John is scheduled to perform a medley of songs from the soundtrack to her new movie A Few Best Men during the ceremony.

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