Will Ferrell To Be Honored With Top Comedy Award

Will Ferrell (AP) (© NBCUniversal, Inc.)

Jack Black, Conan O'Brien and Larry King will honor Will Ferrell with the nation's top humor prize, along with Maya Rudolph and Molly Shannon from his "Saturday Night Live" days.

On Wednesday, the Kennedy Center in Washington announced a lineup of star comedians who will perform in Ferrell's honor for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. They'll salute him Oct. 23 in a performance taped for broadcast Oct. 31 on PBS stations nationwide.

Ferrell's longtime collaborator Adam McKay from the films "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights" and "The Other Guys" will appear, as well as Lorne Michaels, Paul Rudd, John C. Reilly and the rock band Green Day.

Ferrell starred on "Saturday Night Live" for seven seasons, perfecting his character, "President George W. Bush." He went on to create FunnyorDie.com with McKay in 2007 and took his Bush character to Broadway in 2009's "You're Welcome America: A final night with George W. Bush."

His other impressions have included Janet Reno, Alex Trebek and Neil Diamond.

Ferrell got his start in comedy with the Los Angeles improve group, The Groundlings, when he was discovered by "SNL."

The Mark Twain prize, now in its 14th year, recalls the social commentary and satire of Samuel Clemens, the writer known as Mark Twain. Past winners include Tina Fey, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin.