We’ve only recently seen how well he can handle hot wings, but before that, Conan O’Brien was handling business in the comedy game with ease, chaos, enthusiasm, masterful precision, and a whole lot of bouncy red hair. Now, he’s being acknowledged for his work with the highest honor in the industry.
As announced earlier this week, the legendary comedian and Brookline native will become the 26th recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a ceremony at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on March 23.
The nod comes for O’Brien after more than four decades worth of contributions to comedy and television, including multiple stints as a late-night host, a writer on a cavalcade of TV shows like Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, a decorated voice and character actor, and the subject of a handful of documentaries like Conan O’Brien Must Go and Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, just to name a few accomplishments among a litany of critical acclaim on stage and screen over the course of his 40-plus year career in comedy.
O’Brien joins a hall of fame lineup of fellow comedy greats that have also been awarded the prize since it was first presented to Richard Pryor in 1998, and was followed by the likes of Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Tina Fey, and many more.