Will Ferrell

WASHINGTON — The “Saturday Night Live” star who perfected his character as “President George W. Bush” and later took his presidential act to Broadway received the nation’s top humor prize Sunday night in Washington.

Will Ferrell received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jack Black, Conan O’Brien, Larry King and the rock band Green Day offered tributes and performances in his honor. The show was taped for broadcast Oct. 31 on PBS stations nationwide.

Earlier this year, Ferrell told The Associated Press why he wanted to be funny.

“The closest I can analyze it is that it was an easy way to make friends, I found out,” he said. “It was just a great kind of social tool.”

Ferrell is the son of a teacher and Roy Lee Ferrell, a guitarist for the Righteous Brothers. He grew up in Irvine, Calif., went to college at the University of Southern California and got his start in comedy with the Los Angeles improv group, The Groundlings.

That’s where he was discovered by “SNL.” He starred for seven seasons on the NBC series, with memorable characters that included “Craig the Spartan Cheerleader,” a middle school music teacher named “Marty Culp” and impressions of Janet Reno, Alex Trebek and Neil Diamond.