Julia Louis-Dreyfus awarded Mark Twain Prize for humor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – American comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose career on the improv stage led to iconic roles on shows such as Seinfeld, was honored on Sunday for contributing to the national culture.

Louis-Dreyfus gained fame as Elaine – the perpetually single neurotic in Jerry Seinfeld’s ensemble sitcom – but her role as a blundering politician on the HBO show Veep has brought more acclaim.

On Sunday evening, Louis-Dreyfus was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, the national showcase for arts. Dreyfus, 57, was praised as an actor who could nail a farcical role and then deliver a satire with smarts.

Louis-Dreyfus has earned six consecutive Emmy awards portraying Vice President Selina Meyer – a haul that surpassed that of past female comedy icons like Mary Tyler Moore or Lucille Ball.

A send-up of Washington power-brokers, Veep has aired on HBO since 2012, but the show took a hiatus when Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Last week, Louis-Dreyfus said she is cancer free and is wrapping up the last season of Veep.

All together, Louis-Dreyfus has received 11 Emmy awards, eight for acting and three for producing – a record for any single performer.

Louis-Dreyfus has used her celebrity to draw attention to environmental causes as an activist with the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and other conservation causes.