Jay Leno Honored With Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Jay Leno has made us laugh for many, many years, and on Sunday, the former Tonight Show host was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Plenty of entertainers came out to fête the comedian—including his late-night successor, Jimmy Fallon. Praising Leno as “a trail-blazing comedian” and “someone to look up to my entire year,” Fallon thanked his predecessor, per USA Today, for being someone who “showed me that hard work does pay off.”
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Jerry Seinfeld also spoke out, saying Leno “really guided my career in so many ways, especially as a standup comedian….I learned how to do this from him.”
“He showed me the way of what I wanted to be—to let your inner crankiness out,” added Seinfeld, per the Washington Post. “That can make good comedy. Entertaining complaining is a lot of what stand-up comedy is about.”
Wanda Sykes called Leno, 64, “one of the nicest guys in the business,” gushing, “I can’t think of anyone who deserves this more than you.”
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Other celeb attendees included Late Night’s Seth Meyers, Garth Brooks, Ross Matthews and Kristin Chenoweth. Jamie Foxx and Betty White each sent video messages in to the comedian. “Every night for 22 years I would watch Jay Leno to go to sleep,” joked Foxx. “I nicknamed him Jay Lunesta. Now I’m having withdrawals.”
Leno, who will soon be returning to TV with a car series on CNBC, laughed right along with all the playful jabs. On a more serious note, he said he would “treasure” the award. “This means a tremendous amount to me,” he said. “I am so touched by this.”
Jay Leno: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize will be broadcast Nov. 23 on PBS.
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