Comedian Kevin Hart is to receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in American humor, the highest honor in comedy.
“For over three decades, Kevin Hart has been a source of laughter across America and throughout the world with his iconic characters, inimitable physical comedy, and relatable narratives,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement. “We express our gratitude to Kevin for enriching American culture and look forward to celebrating his exceptional career.”
Previous recipients have included Tina Fey, Bob Newhart, David Letterman and Jon Stewart.
The Philadelphia native launched his career as a teenager performing as Lil Kev at venues such as The Laff House. As with most comedians, Hart’s start could have been smoother. In the past, he has been open about some of his not-so-successful shows where he was booed off the stage.
In 2009, after quitting his gig as a salesman to do comedy full time, Hart released his first standup album, titled I’m a Grown Little Man, which proved to be a huge success and ultimately put him on the mainstream spotlight.
“I mean, look, at that time, you’ve got to understand that it’s all a learning experience. You know, you’re going through the good, the bad and the ugly to get an understanding of just that. Those experiences only make you better,” Hart told Route Magazine. “They only make you stronger. So, you have to understand that a lot of people quit because [it’s not] easy. Not many stay put and fight through it. The ones that push through are the ones that end up making it because they have the will and ability to stay through it all. That’s my opinion.”
Since making it big, Hart has released four additional standup albums, several memoirs and audiobooks and has starred in dozens of movies —11 of which opened at No. 1 at the box office.
