Adam Sandler wins Mark Twain Prize for American Humor : NPR

Adam Sandler receives the Mark Twain Prize on March 19.

Scott Suchman/Kennedy Center

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Scott Suchman/Kennedy Center

Adam Sandler receives the Mark Twain Prize on March 19.

Scott Suchman/Kennedy Center

Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston and Chris Rock were among the comedians in Washington, DC this weekend to celebrate Adam Sandler.

Sandler received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night.

In the 1990s, Sandler worked with a number of now famous comedians and actors on Saturday Night Live. Conan O’Brien is one of them. At the ceremony, he poked fun at Sandler’s loyalty — he often works with the same team of writers and actors.

“A lot of amazing, amazing people flew to DC to say great things about Adam Sandler. But did you wonder why so many of Adam’s friends were available to talk tonight? I’ll tell you why. Because when Adam doesn’t work, they don’t work,” O’Brien joked.

Robert Smigel, who also met Sandler on SNL, weighed in on his comedy brand. “He’s a creative genius. When he started at SNL, he was a complete original, so much so that half the team had no idea what he was doing,” Smigel said on the red carpet before the show. “The older people on staff thought he was just dumb. Because he sounded dumb. Because his voice sounded dumb. But he’s one of the smartest guys and one of the guys the most accurate I’ve ever worked with.”

Conan O’Brien pays tribute to Sandler on Sunday night.

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Conan O’Brien pays tribute to Sandler on Sunday night.

Tracey Salazar/Kennedy Center

Sandler created misfit characters like the creepy kid looking for a job as a housekeeper and an opera man. He is also known for his funny songs, such as Lunchlady Land. Steve Buscemi and Dana Carvey actually broke into song, singing a line from Lunchlady Land (“Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe”) on the red carpet.

After SNL, Sandler continued to make a lot of movies: Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, the wedding singer, The Longest Yard, Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems among them.

Buscemi appeared in several Sandler films. He took the stage – and noted what Sandler meant to his career: “No one makes me laugh like you and no one has taken better care of me in this business than you. He does it for all his friends. He did it for so many people… But for me, I think the best part of working with Adam, with you, is just hanging out with you, man.”

Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Aniston take the stage at the Mark Twain Awards ceremony on March 19.

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Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Aniston take the stage at the Mark Twain Awards ceremony on March 19.

Tracey Salazar/Kennedy Center

Drew Barrymore, who has also worked with Sandler in films, is a big fan of his goofy energy. Before the show, she said, “Adam can go deep, but somehow he does it without alienating people and that’s a real art, as far as comedy goes.”

Sandler’s comedies have alienated some critics over the years, but they’ve also grossed over $3 billion worldwide.

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor will air on CNN on March 26.