Nearly 40 years after his career as a comedian began, Adam Sandler is set to receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
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According to the Associated Press, Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter revealed that Sandler would receive the award late last year. He will be honored on Sunday (March 19th) during the 24th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor event. “Adam Sandler has entertained audiences for over three decades with his films, music, and his tenure as a fan favorite cast member on SNL,” Rutter explained. “Adam has created characters that have made us laugh, cry, and cry from laughing.”
Among those who have received the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize are Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, Jon Stewart, and Dave Chapelle. AP also reports that Bill Crosby, who received the award in 2009, had his rescinded in 2019 during the multiple allegations of sexual assault.
Adam Sandler is also the seventh SNL cast member to receive the award. The other SNL stars are Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Will Farrell, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louise-Dreyfus. Loren Michaels, who created SNL and is a long-running show’s producer, also won the award in 2004.
The Kennedy Center also announced on its website that a lineup of actors/comedians will be saluting Sandler during Sunday’s presentation. This includes Jennifer Aniston, Judd Apatow, Drew Barrymore, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, Luis Guzman, Tim Herlihy, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, and Rob Schneider.
Adam Sandler Opens Up About What Draws Him to Various Roles
During a November 2022 interview with CBS News, Adam Sandler opened up about his various throughout the years. He also shared why he wants to go for the “unlucky” roles.
“Oh man, I always liked them growing up,” Sandler said about the roles. “I liked pulling for somebody who needed something. I relate to all different types of people, but I enjoy playing these guys who are struggling.”
When asked why, Adam Sandler replied, “I guess I admit somebody who doesn’t give up.”
When asked about his film Hustle and its popularity, Sandler admitted he wasn’t expecting the film to get so much attention. “I don’t sit and watch my performance and go, ‘I’m riveting, man. How the hell did I do that?’ I’m proud of it. And if any of [award] stuff happens, that would be great. If it doesn’t happen, still everything’s been pretty damn good.”
In regards to comedian talents, Adam Sandler added that it just came naturally for him. “I think I got there when I was 17,” he said about studying at the Lee Strasburg Studios at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. “I started doing stand-up. So, I would do school, serious stuff in the day.”