Kevin Hart was both the man of the hour and the butt of the joke on a night that glittered with the stars of comedy, sparking laughs and questions about Kevin Hart's height along the way.
The Get Hard actor was honored with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize on March 24 at the Kennedy Center, a testament to his indelible mark on American entertainment. Yet it was his "roasting" by fellow comedians that stole the show, proving that in showbiz, love, and laughter go hand in hand, especially when your friends hold the microphone.
Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle were among the celebrities and prominent comedians who attended the boisterous celebration of Kevin's receiving the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy.
“I didn’t start doing what I was doing to get awards,” Kevin said. “I just fell in love with the idea of comedy.”
Kevin Hart received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy on Sunday
Image credits: Paul Morigi / Getty Images
The high-energy show was more of a celebrity roast than a traditional award ceremony, with a band of comedians coming one after the other to gleefully seize the opportunity to rib Kevin.
“Look at that smile,” Chris said. “You got that second wife happiness.” Kevin laughed with his wife and kids surrounding him.
Chris recalled giving advice to Kevin during his early days.
“He’s the only guy that ever listened to me, and he literally did exactly what the f— I told him. I looked at him, and I said, ‘Man you are really funny, but your problem is you are competing with these other comedians. They are not your peers. You are better than all of them. But you need to get out of their circle and develop your own voice,” Chris said at the show.
The show resembled a celebrity roast more than a traditional award show, with Kevin Hart being the butt of the joke
“I swear to God, within 800 days, Kevin Hart was a bigger star than me. Within 800 days. He was taking parts from me. He was in a movie with The Rock. My last name’s Rock!” he joked.
Veteran comedian Jerry praised Kevin as the most likable human in history with a last name that perfectly suited him. “If you look at Kevin Hart's career, it doesn't look like it was that hard to do,” he remarked, humorously jabbing at Kevin.
Fellow co-star Regina Hall also joined in on the fun by saying, “Kevin really cares about the quality ... of the check. Not the product — honestly some of that stuff is pretty bad — but the man knows how to get PAID!”
When it was Chelsea Handler’s turn to take her verbal swipe at Kevin, she recalled the comedian saying he was destined for greatness during an appearance on her talk show in the early 2000s.
It was all about Hartfelt humor as comedy giants like Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, and Chelsea Handler took turns with their playful swipes
"It was clear from the moment we met that he was destined for superstardom, especially when he told me he was destined for superstardom," Chelsea said.
"I admired his pluck ... as well as his drive and determination and the unrelenting hard work that brought him here tonight to a place where the talk show host he told he was destined for superstardom is now presenting him with a lifetime achievement award," she added.