Patrick Harris wore double undies

Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris had to double up on underwear for his semi-naked Birdman tribute sketch at Hollywood's big night after realising the bright stage lights would give audience members and TV viewers too much of an eyeful.

The Gone Girl actor decided to recreate a scene from Michael Keaton's Oscar-winning drama as he presented the 87th annual Academy Awards, walking through the backstage area at the Dolby Theatre to the stage in his underwear after his plush red bathrobe got stuck in the door of his locked dressing room.

However, Harris reveals concerned ceremony bosses ordered him to wear thicker undergarments after unintentionally revealing all during dress rehearsals.

He explains, "We did the dress rehearsal and I just had a pair of regular underwear on and with the (stage) lights, they see through things, and so the Academy or the network or someone said we had to do something so that you couldn't tell my religion (whether he was circumcised or not)... and so what they did was they had to take a second pair of underwear and sew it to the first so that you couldn't see through it."

But Harris insists he didn't do anything to "enhance" his package, adding, "No sock!"