The sharp wit, the vulgar language, the keen observations, the instantly recognizable laugh. There's only one Eddie Murphy and this year, the Kennedy Center is honoring him with the 2015 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Murphy will receive the 18th annual award at a gala performance on Oct. 18 that will feature several yet to be named comedians. The program will be seen on national television.
Murphy, 54, was still just a teenager when he brought "Saturday Night Live" back from the dead with his hilarious impressions of James Brown and Michael Jackson. Cultural critiques such as Mr. Robinson also went over well as being both funny and satirically poignant.
The comedian also perfected a Bill Cosby impression, a shtick he chose not to do again for SNL's recent 40th anniversary celebration.
"Eddie Murphy has kept us laughing for 30 years. He's like Mark Twain. He gets to the heart of a provocative issue, and he's damn funny while he's doing it," Cappy McGarr, one of the show's executive producers, said. "He has had incredible influence over so many comedians who have followed him."
Murphy has had a long and successful Hollywood career that saw him become one of the highest-grossing actors in the business. "48 Hrs.," "Trading Places" and "Beverly Hills Cop" impressed critics and scored big at the box offices.
"Through his appearances on 'Saturday Night Live,' groundbreaking stand-up comedy and work as a movie star, Eddie Murphy has shown that like Mark Twain he was years ahead of his time," Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter said in a statement.
The prize was created in 1998 to celebrate America's best humorists in the spirit of 19th century author and satirist Samuel L. Clemens (whose pen name was Mark Twain). Previous winners include Jay Leno, Tina Fey, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and Richard Pryor.
"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Kennedy Center and to join the disgruntled list of past recipients of this award," Murphy said in a statement.
