Degeneres hailed as funny, fearless
The Mark Twain Prize recipient receives an all-star salute in D.C.
WASHINGTON Ellen DeGeneres is usually the one cracking jokes and busting out one of her signature dance moves — anything to make people laugh.
But on Monday night, the tables were turned as a star-studded lineup of her friends and colleagues, past and present, showed up to the salute the comedian at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The festivities were to recognize DeGeneres, 54, as the 15th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. She follows in the footsteps of fellow comedians Bill Cosby, Lorne Michaels, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and others who have had the honor bestowed upon them.
DeGeneres, who has earned critical acclaim with her syndicated daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has received many honors and accolades, but she says this honor is “the icing.”
“I’m flattered. It’s fantastic. Of course I think, ‘ What took so long ?’ ” she joked on the red carpet.
DeGeneres said being a comedian isn’t about recognition. “You don’t do it for awards, you do it to make people happy,” she said.
DeGeneres famously came out as gay on her sitcom, Ellen, in 1997. “It was the right thing for me to do. … It happened to help a lot of people and it happened to cause a ruckus. That was a very fearful time in general for the gay community.”
DeGeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi, accompanied her on the star-studded red carpet and sang her praises. “I am very, very proud of Ellen. She’s not only the funniest person I know, but she’s such a good person,” she said.
Her favorite thing about DeGeneres? “I really like those little moments that only I recognize as her being her true self, when I can see she’s being vulnerable.”
Stars on the red carpet agreed that DeGeneres’ kindness and contributions to the gay community set her apart.
“I like to think that Ellen made Will & Grace possible,” star Sean Hayes said. “And Will & Grace made it possible for Modern Family. (DeGeneres’) fearlessness was her contribution, and it continues to be.”
Said Glee star Jane Lynch: “She’s the one who went in with the machete and did it all by herself.”
Musician Jason Mraz said he thinks of DeGeneres as his “favorite aunt.”
“She’s the same backstage as she is on stage, and that’s why you love to watch her,” he said.
The Office star John Krasinski had a similar reaction: “She’s one of those people where you feel she’s your friend.”
A soft-spoken Kristin Chenoweth (who said she’s “having more good days than bad” after an injury on the set of The Good Wife this summer) said the fact that DeGeneres has always remained kind makes her unique.
“She’s not a mean-girl comic,” Chenoweth said.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel was able to quantify his admiration for DeGeneres: “This is the only time I’ve ever missed a show for anything. Except when I had my appendix taken out,” he said.
“She’s very genuine and she makes it look easy, and it’s not easy,” Kimmel said.
The show will be broadcast as Ellen DeGeneres: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize Oct. 30 on PBS stations (check local listings).