Julia Louis-Dreyfus Acceptance Speech | 2018 Mark Twain Prize

An outstanding lineup of entertainers gathered in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to salute Julia Louis-Dreyfus, recipient of the 21st annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on October 21, 2018. The Prize, which is named to honor one of the world's greatest humorists, was presented at a gala performance featuring some of the biggest names in comedy. The event was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. and aired nationally on PBS on November 19, 2018 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Capital One is the Presenting Sponsor of Comedy at the Kennedy Center.

Under the direction of the creative team from Done + Dusted, the Kennedy Center’s new producing partner for the Twain Prize, the cast features many of Louis-Dreyfus’s admirers, friends, and collaborators, including Stephen Colbert, Bryan Cranston, Tina Fey, Ilana Glazer, Tony Hale, Abbi Jacobson, Jack Johnson, Keegan-Michael Key, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus earned worldwide acclaim for her portrayal of Elaine Benes in the hit NBC series "Seinfeld," and as Christine Campbell in the CBS hit comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine." She currently stars in, and executive produces, the HBO series "Veep," which will soon begin its seventh season.

Between all shows combined, she has received eleven Emmy awards (six consecutively for "Veep") with twenty-four nominations, a Golden Globe award, nine Screen Actors Guild awards which makes her the most decorated actor in the history of the SAG awards, three Television Critics Association awards, five American Comedy Awards, a Peabody Award, and the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. She has broken the record for the most Emmy's won by a single performer, as well as the most consecutive wins for a single role ("Veep").

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