Kevin Hart Says He's 'Overwhelmed with Emotion' as He Accepts Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Mar. 15, 2025

Kevin Hart on March 24, 2024.Photo:Paul Morigi/Getty

Paul Morigi/Getty

Kevin Hartis getting emotional over a major honor denoting his achievements in comedy.

“Right now, [I’m just feeling] excitement and just the feeling of being humbled at the fact that I would be in the association of those in comedy,” said Hart, who wasnamed the 2024 honoreeback in November. “And, you know, I hope that in years to come I’ll look back at this historic moment for me.”

Celebrities likeDave Chappelle,Jimmy Fallon,Tiffany Haddish,Chris Rock,Jerry SeinfeldandChelsea Handlerwere among those who gathered together in D.C. for “a gala performance featuring some of the biggest names in comedy” to celebrate Hart’s career.

Kevin Hart onstage at the Kennedy Center.Paul Morigi/Getty

“You can’t buy support. You can’t fake that," Hart said onstage at the Kennedy Center as he accepted the award. “It means so much to me to see the people I’d show up for show up for me.”

“I fell in love with something I could do for the rest of my life,” he added of his career, after thanking his family andhis four children. “I committed to comedy. I fell in love with something I can grab onto. All my eggs are in this basket and oh my God I’m happy with my choice.”

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At the time Hart was announced as 2024’s Mark Twain Prize honoree, Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter described the comedianin a statementas “a source of laughter across America and throughout the world with his iconic characters, inimitable physical comedy and relatable narratives.”

Outside of his extensive work in stand-up comedy, Hart is also known for appearing in comedies like theJumanjimovies, as well asRide Along(2014),Central Intelligence(2016) andFatherhood(2021), among others.

Kevin Hart accepting the Mark Twain Prize.Scott Suchman

Scott Suchman

“I’m proud of bringing people together. My comedy is one that’s global,” Hart said on the red carpet, when asked about how he finds success with such a large audience; he noted that political comedy often is not “the best energy or format for what I do.”

“So it doesn’t mean I don’t get political humor, it just means that I understand my lane, and I operate in what I do very well,” he added.

This year’s gala for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was filmed and will debut May 11 on Netflix.

source: people.com