Bill Murray received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Washington DC's Kennedy Center, surounded with friends and peers like David Letterman, Steve Martin, Jimmy Kimmel, Miley Cyrus, Aziz Ansari and Ghostbusters co-star Sigourney Weaver, who were paying tribute to the actor.
Amid the pouring of jokes about Bill Murray's elusiveness and quirky personality, it was David Letterman who delivered the most touching moment as Murray was honoured with the nation's top prize for comedy.
In Murray's own speech, he thanked his older brother Brian Doyle-Murray for paving the way for his career in show business. “My brother had more guts than anyone I ever knew, and the only reason I'm here tonight is because of the guts of my brother Brian," Murray said. "He's been waiting a long time to hear that.”
In a red carpet interview with Extra, Murray said of the honour, “It's a big deal. I'm not really processing it too well; I'm kind of dazed by it. It's sort of like winning the lottery, or something incredibly lucky.”
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is a US award for humor awarded by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts annually since 1998. The award is named after the 19th century novelist, essayist and humorist Mark Twain and presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to American humour.
After getting his break on Saturday Night Live, Murray went on to star in some of the most successful comedies of the 1980s and 90s before transitioning into more dramatic roles. Murray was nominated for an Oscar for his soulful turn as a washed-up actor in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.
