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Conan O'Brien was honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy at a ceremony on Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, amidst ongoing tensions surrounding the institution's leadership. O'Brien, 61, was announced as the recipient of the prestigious award in January, just weeks before President Donald Trump made significant changes to the Kennedy Center, removing its long-time president and chairman of the board. Trump replaced the board with his loyalists, who then elected him as chairman. Faria's call for action against misogyny leads to man's termination from Sajida Foundation During the event, O'Brien was celebrated with tributes and messages from a host of comics and celebrities, many of whom also addressed the uncertain future of the institution. "I think it would be insane not to address the elephant in the room," comedian Nikki Glaser remarked before the event. "It's in the air tonight. This night is about Conan, but it can be both." As the ceremony got underway, Stephen Colbert joked about the addition of two new board members: Bashar Assad, the former president of Syria, and Skeletor, a fictional villain. John Mulaney humorously suggested that the building might soon be renamed “the Roy Cohn Pavilion,” in reference to one of Trump’s mentors. Sarah Silverman made several Trump-related jokes, though many were too explicit to be shared. Trump had stated on social media that the individuals removed from the board “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” How this vision unfolds remains unclear, but Trump has expressed interest in booking more Broadway shows and has proposed granting Kennedy Center Honors to actor Sylvester Stallone and singer Paul Anka. Amid this turmoil, O'Brien steps into the spotlight, known for his more lighthearted and self-deprecating comedic style. While his work has generally avoided overtly political themes, he has tackled sensitive societal issues. In 2011, O'Brien officiated a live gay wedding on his show, marrying his longtime costume designer, Scott Cronick, and his partner, David Gorshein. O'Brien gained national attention in 1993 when he replaced David Letterman as the host of “Late Night,” despite having no significant on-screen experience. Previously a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons," he had made only occasional appearances as a background extra. He went on to host “Late Night” for 16 years, longer than any other host. Later, O'Brien was chosen to replace Jay Leno as the host of “The Tonight Show,” but his tenure ended in failure after just seven months. Following a public dispute with NBC over declining ratings and the return of Leno, O'Brien received a multimillion-dollar payout to exit the network in early 2010. O'Brien then moved to TBS, where he continued hosting a talk show, launching popular podcasts and travel series. His travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” received both critical and audience acclaim, with a second season underway. Recently, his hosting of the Academy Awards was met with positive feedback, leading the producers to announce his return next year. Since Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, several artists, including “Hamilton” producers and actress/writer Issa Rae, have cancelled planned appearances. Others, like comedian W. Kamau Bell, have addressed the controversy directly during performances, while cellist Erin Murphy Snedecor ended her recent set with the protest song "All You Fascists Bound to Lose." Salman Khan attends Sikandar trailer launch with father Salim Khan Previous recipients of the lifetime achievement award include David Letterman, Jay Leno, George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, and Dave Chappelle. The ceremony will be available for streaming on Netflix later this year, although the date has not yet been confirmed.

Can you recall watching Courage the Cowardly Dog, the animated cartoon series? Courage, also known as a pink dog, captivated the children with its spooky and fantastical tales. David Steven Cohen joined the show's writing staff in season one and eventually rose to the position of chief writer after John R. Dilworth created it. The writer died from cancer at the age of 58. Under his great creativity, Cohen played a pivotal role in creating the popular show's dark comedy, which entertained millions of kids on Cartoon Network. After joining the writing staff in season one, Cohen wrote many standout episodes before the show's 2002 finale. Read more: Top 10 Netflix English Originals to Watch in April 2025: Movies, Series, and Shows The strange and emotionally complex world of Courage the Cowardly Dog was greatly influenced by David Steven Cohen. Some of the most famous episodes, such as Klub Katz, 1000 Years of Courage, Forbidden Hat of Gold, and The Sand Whale Strikes, showcased his masterful storytelling. Cohen was significantly more imaginative than Courage. He contributed his literary skills to some well-known works, such as Phil of the Future, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, and Balto. About the Cowardly Dog of Courage The gloomy, barren hamlet of Nowhere, Kansas, is the setting for the darkly humorous animated series Courage the Cowardly Dog. It centres on Courage, a courageous but easily terrified dog who lives with his elderly owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge. Their peaceful farmhouse turns into the scene of strange and frequently paranormal events, requiring Courage to defend his unaware owners from evil dangers. The show is still a gem among animated television series because of its bizarre comedy, spooky atmosphere, and unusual storyline. Read more: Amazon Prime Video Original Lineup for April 2025: Most Hyped Web Series and Films

Comedian and TV host Conan O'Brien was announced on Thursday as the latest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy, reports AP. At 61, O'Brien has built an unexpected and impressive career, transitioning from a quirky television newcomer to a respected figure in comedy. His journey included overcoming one of the most public failures in television history with “The Tonight Show,” only to recover and establish a long-lasting, successful career. Actor Saif Ali Khan stabbed in attempted burglary, undergoes surgery His travel series, “Conan O'Brien Must Go,” earned both critical and popular praise, with a second season set to air. In March, O'Brien will host the Academy Awards, followed by the Mark Twain ceremony in Washington just three weeks later. Deborah Rutter, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, described O'Brien as “a master of invention and reinvention, consistently pushing the envelope in search of new comedic heights.” O'Brien humorously reflected on the honour, joking in a statement that he would be the first Mark Twain Prize recipient known not for his humour, but for his work as a riverboat pilot. He will be celebrated on March 23, during a ceremony where he will receive a bronze bust of Samuel Clemens, the real name of the legendary American writer and satirist. Melissa Rivers recounts grabbing valued possessions before Pacific Palisades fire burned home down The Mark Twain ceremony is a night of tributes, including testimonials and video tributes from previous awardees. The event will later be streamed on Netflix, though the release date is yet to be confirmed. O'Brien's rise to fame began in 1993, when he replaced the legendary David Letterman as host of “Late Night,” despite having little on-camera experience. Prior to this, the former Harvard Lampoon editor had been a writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” occasionally appearing as a background extra on SNL skits. O'Brien’s unique, awkward energy contrasted sharply with Letterman's deadpan style. He often poked fun at his own gangly appearance and felt out of place for the role. O'Brien went on to host “Late Night” for 16 years, longer than any other host. In 2009, O'Brien's career took a dramatic turn when he was chosen to replace Jay Leno as the host of “The Tonight Show,” despite warnings that Leno was reluctant to give up the position. After seven months of poor ratings, NBC brought Leno back with a new show that pushed “The Tonight Show” back. O'Brien refused to accept the change, resulting in a public feud that led to a multimillion-dollar payout for O'Brien and his team to leave NBC in early 2010. The fallout divided the comedy world, with Leno seen as the antagonist and O'Brien as the victim set up for failure. February 2025 Amazon Prime Originals Streaming Lineup: Exclusive Films and Web Series During his emotional farewell on the last episode of “The Tonight Show,” O'Brien expressed gratitude and refused to harbour resentment. “Every comedian dreams of hosting 'The Tonight Show,' and for seven months I got to do it," he said. "I did it my way with people I love, and I don't regret one second.” He ended with a poignant message for young people: “All I ask is this one thing, particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.” O'Brien returned later in 2010 with a new talk show on TBS. Despite the channel's smaller profile, the show ran for 11 years, during which O'Brien also launched ventures like the podcast “Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend” and the travel series “Conan Without Borders,” a precursor to his current programme. Other past recipients of the lifetime achievement award include Letterman, Leno, George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, and Dave Chappelle. Bill Cosby, the 2009 honoree, had his Mark Twain Prize revoked in 2019 following multiple sexual assault allegations.

When you think about the best comedy movies, there must be a big portion of laughs. However, the greatest comedy films don’t just mean burst out of laughter. As a matter of fact, they are carrying an ultimate sense of humor to sharpen your understanding. They are also worth having in a collection. Let’s check out the top rated comedy movies of all time. 10 best comedy movies that never be obsolete Modern Times / 1936 / USA / Silent Drama Rating: 8.5/10 (IMDb) and 98% (RottenTomatoes) This classic masterpiece is the creation of Charlie Chaplin, the master of comedy. It follows a little tramp who is trying his level best to cope up with factory machinery but fails. He keeps ending up in jail for every mistake. After befriending an orphan girl, he tries to get into modern life by taking an odd job. Not just in this particular film, he perfected his ‘Tramp’ character with every single performance during the era of silent films. The Library of Congress placed ‘Modern Times’ among their 25 films for preservation in the US national film registry. Read Best Pandemic Feature Films: Top 10 Virus Outbreak Movies Ever Big / 1988 / USA / Fantasy Rating: 7.3/10 (IMDb) and 97% (RottenTomatoes) Every magic has its own consequences. It came to the senses of a 12-year-old Josh after turning into a fully grown-up man. Everything was going well including taking a job and getting the promotion. But when his beautiful colleague fell in love with him, things kept falling apart. With this interesting story written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, ‘Big’ is directed by Penny Marshall. Tom Hanks played the grown-up version of Josh. For this role, he got the Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination. The film was also nominated for an Oscar in the best original screenplay. Read ‘Rehana Maryam Noor’ Review: The Bangladeshi movie screened in 74th Cannes Film Festival Four Weddings And A Funeral / 1994 / UK / Romance Rating: 7.1/10 (IMDb) and 96% (RottenTomatoes audience score) This is a romantic-comedy story of a handsome man and his friends. He thinks of an American beauty – who he had suddenly met – as the love of his life. She made sure that they are only friends. But he didn’t give up as their paths crossed in four weddings and a funeral. The heartthrob actor Hugh Grant played the handsome man. This role brought him many awards including BAFTA and Golden Globe. The producer Duncan Kenworthy and the writer Richard Curtis were nominated for Oscar in the best picture and the best writing respectively. Read Dilip Kumar: Life History, Success Story of the Legendary Indian Film Star Monster in Paris / 2011 / France / Musical Rating: 6.7/10 (IMDb) and 87% (RottenTomatoes) This animated film produced by Luc Besson is composed of Sci-Fi, fantasy, music, and of course romantic comedy. The story evolves with a flea that became a monster one night. It does no harm to the town-people. A cabaret singer discovers that it has a beautiful singing voice and can play guitar. But the people won’t let it live. The voice-over artists were Sean Lennon, Vanessa Paradis, Adam Goldberg, Danny Huston. Bibo Bergeron and Matthieu Chedid won Cesar Award for directing the best-animated film and for the best original music respectively. Read Greatest Love Stories in Celluloid: Hollywood’s Best Romantic Movies of All Time Kung Fu Hustle / 2004 / China / Action Rating: 7.7/10 (IMDb) and 91% (RottenTomatoes) This martial-art film made by and starring Stephen Chow was commercially successful. It centered on murderous people who get into a village posing as the members of a Gang. But they don’t notice that some of the residents know how to save the natives as well as themselves. The comic acting of Eva Huang, Yuen Qiu, Yuen Wah, Kwok-Kwan, Leung Siu-lung, and Danny Chan will keep pushing you to laugh-out-loud. It showcased its hall of fame with the Golden Globe Award and BAFTA nomination. This action movie won Hong Kong Film Awards in six categories including Best Action Choreography. Read Suman Ghosh’s Film Searching for Happiness is to Feature in London Indian Film Festival 2021 3 Idiots / 2009 / India / Drama Rating: 8.4/10 (IMDb) and 100% (RottenTomatoes) Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, this real-life drama comes with a lifelong message with a good laugh. Abhijat Joshi, along with Rajkumar Hirani has written the screenplay based on the novel named ‘Five Point Someone’ by Chetan Bhagat. This legendary comedy film stars Aamir Khan, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi. The storyline depicts the courage of 3 young men in following passion over what society imposes. This evergreen film won three National Film Awards, and six Filmfare Awards including Best Film and Best Director. Read Female filmmakers of Bangladesh have made their mark in the industry Welcome to Dongmakgol / 2005 / South Korea / War Rating: 7.7/10 (IMDb) and 88% (RottenTomatoes) Two teams of North and South Korean soldiers and a US pilot encounter each other in Dongmakgol, a village in a nice-looking valley. The things that happened between them other than fighting each other are wonderful. Park Kwang-Hyun emerged as a film director with this film centered on Jang Jin’s stage play of the same-named. Every actor including Jung Jae-young, Seo Jae-Kyung, Ryu Deok-Hwan, Kang Hye-Jung, Im Ha-Ryong made their best to show the suspense and simplicity of the film. It made commercial success besides winning 3 Blue dragon film awards, 6 Korean film awards, a Grand Bell Award. Read Top 10 English Comedy Movies released in 2021 Life is Beautiful / 1997 / Italian / War Rating: 8.6/10 (IMDb) and 80% (RottenTomatoes) Although it is full of comedies, this creation of Roberto Benigni can’t be called a comedy film totally. In fact, your smiley face will take a drastic turn into sadness at the very ending. It shows the love of a father to his son by telling the story of a Jewish during the 2nd World War. Benigni’s wife Nicoletta Braschi also acted in this film. The cute appearance of little Giorgio Cantarini has got this movie out of the War-horror. It received the Grand Prix at the 51st Cannes Film Festival, and three Oscars including featuring Benigni as the best actor. Read Best Bengali Thriller Movies in 2021 Made in Bangladesh / 2007 / Bangladesh / Political Satire Rating: 8.1/10 (IMDb) Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, an Unorthodox filmmaker of Bangladesh, made this full-length drama. The experienced actors including Zahid Hasan, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Tariq Anam Khan, Dilara Zaman, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Tania Ahmed, and Shahidul Alam Sachchu played different roles in the film. The story is all about an unemployed young man who manages to get into a Government rest house with a briefcase claiming to have a bomb within. He takes hostages of important people in society until his demands are met. This film bagged the Special Mention (Best Film) award at Dhaka International Film Festival (2008). Read  Free Online Movies: Best Netflix Alternatives for Streaming Movies in 2021 The Lizard / 2004 / Iran / Drama Rating: 8.5/10 (IMDb) and 95% (RottenTomatoes) Under the direction of Kamal Tabrizi, this film is a nice presentation of morality. Peyman Ghasem Khani has written its script. A thief on the run takes harbor in a village and disguises himself as a so-called religious man titled Molla. He inspires the residents to perform fair and just even without realizing it. Eventually, it leaves some funny activities throughout the movie. Parviz Parastui stars in this Manouchehr Mohammadi Production. At the Montreal world film fest, it won Golden Zenith for Best Asian Film. Read  10 Best Adventure Movies Released in 2021 Summing Up So far, we have listed out 10 best comedy movies from different cultures, nations and languages. However, the number of movies under this broad genre is huge. The humorous films have now enriched themselves by adding a variety of elements to themselves since the classic era. Still, they are evolving. They have tangled with even every serious movie in the 21st century.