“Can’t believe Leno didn’t show”—Fans laughs as Conan O’Brien shares excerpt from his Mark Twain Prize speech

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has become the ultimate honor for any American in comedy. Presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., it has been awarded to renowned comedians like Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, and Kevin Hart.

This year, the honor went to Conan O’Brien. Although The Kennedy Center has yet to upload clips from the ceremony, fans have been eagerly waiting to see his speech or any glimpse from the show, and it looks like the late-night talk show veteran himself just answered their prayers.

O’Brien recently shared an excerpt from his Mark Twain Prize acceptance speech, where he spoke about Mark Twain’s impact on American humor and celebrated his life and career. The video, shared by Conan, received widespread praise, with fans applauding the host for his contributions to comedy and making them laugh for 30 years.

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Hilarious Fan Reactions

Conan’s fans wasted no time flooding the comments section of his acceptance speech clip, sharing their humorous thoughts about it.

"Can’t believe Leno didn’t show," a fan joked.

Many fans jokingly asked why comedian Jay Leno didn’t show up at the event. And if you know anything about those two...well, let’s just say they haven’t spoken much in 15 years:

"I fully expected this to link to that clip from Mac and Me that Paul Rudd would always cut to," wrote another.

Many fans were hilariously expecting the link to Conan’s acceptance speech video to open to the infamous clip from the 1988 movie, Mac and Me—the same clip Paul Rudd would always play on Conan’s show instead of promoting his movies:

"Congratulations well deserved," a fan noted with a GIF.

Wow! Even comedians Dana Carvey and Mike Myers are bowing down in praise of Conan’s contributions to comedy. Now that’s brag-worthy!

"Awesome! But it looked like you were hosting your own ceremony! Lol," a fan said.

When you have been hosting a talk show for almost three decades, the host in you never really leaves. No wonder many fans feel that even Conan’s acceptance speech for such an honor felt like he was hosting!:

"“A prize? Like in a Cracker Jack box?” - Kevin Nealon," commented another.

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If comedian Kevin Nealon had been on that stage, he would have surely poked fun at his good friend, joking that the Mark Twain Prize is no different than one you would find in a Cracker Jack box.

Conan O’Brien sure seems to be having an incredible 2025—first as a successful Oscars host, then confirmed to host next year’s ceremony after this year’s success, and now winning the coveted Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.