Neil Patrick Harris won't host the Oscars again, for the sake of his family and soul

Actor Neil Patrick Harris won't host the Oscars again because his "family and soul" couldn't take it.

The actor hosted this year's Academy Awards, his first time in the position, but insists he's not going to do it again because it took up so much time.

"I don't know that my family or my soul could take it. It's a beast. It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don't know that it's a delightful balance to do every year or even again," he said.

Harris had a mixed reception to his hosting stint but insists he hasn't paid too much attention to the response.

"I didn't keep up with it obsessively, but it was interesting to see just what people thought landed and didn't. I realise just how much time and concession and compromise...my job was to try and keep things as light and specific to this year's set of films as possible.

"And if people are critical of that, it's a big giant platform, so I would assume that they would be," he added.