Conan O’Brien will be the next recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
O’Brien will be honored at the annual gala for the Mark Twain Prize on March 23 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Netflix will stream the event sometime later in the year.) The comedian, podcaster and erstwhile late night host — who is also set to host the Oscars on March 2 — will be the 26th person to receive the award, joining a list of honorees that includes Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, and his late night predecessors Jay Leno and David Letterman.
“For four decades, Conan O’Brien, has brought his unique blend of the smart, silly, insightful, and hilarious into our homes,” said Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center. “From Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons — including the unbelievably funny monorail episode — to late night, podcasts, and all things Team Coco, Conan is a master of invention and reinvention, consistently pushing the envelope in search of new comedic heights. I look forward to honoring his immense legacy and enduring impact with an uproarious evening in the concert hall on March 23.”
Added O’Brien, “I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot.”
O’Brien began his career on HBO’s Not Necessarily the News before working as a writer on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. He took over NBC’s Late Night in 1993 when Letterman moved to CBS and (briefly) succeeded Leno as host of The Tonight Show in 2009-10. When NBC rescinded that decision, he went on a multicity comedy/variety tour before landing at TBS, where he hosted Conan for 11 years.
He currently hosts the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and his Team Coco produces a variety of other audio shows. O’Brien also stars in and executive produces the Max travel series Conan O’Brien Must Go, which has been picked up for a second season.
“I do like to be the odd person out, the one that doesn’t fit in. I think I’m funnier when I’m not in the power position,” O’Brien told The Hollywood Reporter about the animating force behind Must Go. “I was talking to one guy, and he was sort of looking at my skin, my freckles, and he’s like, ‘Are you ill?’ Those are the situations that just inherently amuse me — when a bit of the joke is on me.”
