Beloved American actor Bill Murray received the highly prestigious Mark Twain Award for American Humor in an elaborate ceremony held in Washington DC’s Kennedy Center last night. The award, given annually to the one performer who has left a tangible mark on the comedy industry, is just the latest award to be heading Murray’s way. Indeed, with over 20 major awards under his belt throughout his four-decade career, the 66-year-old is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood with unforgettable comedic performances in Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Saturday Night Live.
Murray used his selection as the 19th annual recipient of the award to spontaneously affirm the importance of being kind and loving to one another along our separate paths. “There’s love, that’s what we came with, that’s what we go with. I love you; let’s try to repeat that to each other,” he stated in his acceptance speech.
Comedy legend Steve Martin, a Mark Twain Prize recipient himself, appeared in a video clip and jokingly remarked “I’d like to say to you (Murray), welcome to the club. And to the Kennedy Center, I’d like to say – really?”
Numerous celebrities such as Miley Cirus, Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman, were among the night’s attendees, and similarly expressed their admiration for Murray’s influential career.