Kevin Hart took the stage Sunday night with his usual panache to accept the Mark Twain Award for American Humor, taking over a stage lit up with his signature fireworks.
“Can I pee?” Mr Hart said after a heartfelt tribute from his friend, the comedian Dave Chappelle, before being waved off stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. He then reappeared to accept a bust of Mark Twain from David M. Rubenstein, the president emeritus of the Kennedy Center.
Mr. Hart, 44, is the 25th comic to receive the award from the Kennedy Center, an honor given annually to the greatest comedians in American comedy. Mr Hart was joined by his wife and four children and smiled widely, even as he burst into incredibly funny roasts and touching tributes from friends and industry colleagues.
“I was playing arenas with Chris Rock, and I would never have played an arena before I saw you do it,” Mr. Chappelle said, crediting Mr. Hart with switching to stand-up comedy after a career selling out tours in arena and even a football stadium in his hometown of Philadelphia. “You made me dream bigger and you’re younger than me — it’s humiliating.”
During a career spanning some 25 years — he’s been noted for doing comedy since the Mark Twain Prize began in the late 1990s — Mr. Hart has sold millions of tickets. He has built a loyal fan base through films, television series and numerous live events – some enhanced by fireworks – including eight comedy specials on relatable narratives, physical comedy and silly reenactments. But even when he’s whipping up the cast of characters that pop in and out of his life, he’s usually the backbone of his own jokes.
His peers also praised him on Sunday for his work ethic, which includes appearing and casting friends in a string of Hollywood films such as the “Jumanji” sequels, dramas such as “Fatherhood” and “Night School.” and a series of comedy acts. movies.
“I didn’t set out to do what I set out to do to get the awards,” Mr Hart said. “I fell in love with the idea of comedy. It made me go, “Oh my god, I fell in love with something that I can do for the rest of my life.”
Sunday night’s show featured fellow comic Mr. Chappelle, who was the 2019 recipient of the Mark Twain Award. Chris Rock, who headlined a tour and subsequent 2023 documentary with Mr. Hart with title “Headliners Only”. JB Smoove, who met Mr. Hart at his starting place, the Laff House in Philadelphia. Jimmy Fallon, who performed a tribute in the form of an original country song, with a heavy twang and a cowboy hat. as well as Jerry Seinfeld, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Nick Cannon and Keith Robinson. Singer Robin Thicke and rappers Nelly and Dave Burd performed.
Stand-up and sketch group Plastic Cup Boyz, who have opened for Mr Hart for 17 years, also paid tribute.
Mr. Hart said winning the Mark Twain Award, considered by many to be a lifetime achievement award in comedy, meant much more because of the colleagues who turned out to honor him. After enlisting several speakers who took to his comedic style, cracking jokes and reminding the audience of his small frame (Ms. Haddish likened the comedian, who is a few inches taller than 5 feet, to a leprechaun), Mr. Hart accepted the award with tears running down his face.
“All jokes aside, thank you for showing up on a night that’s so dope, it couldn’t be so dope without real relationships and real energy,” Mr. Hart said.
The ceremony will be available to stream on Netflix starting May 11.