Washington honors Carl Reiner for laughs

"This is the award of all the awards I have won in my lifetime," Reiner, who has won 12 Emmys for his work, told reporters before the event.

"When I saw the length of the red carpet at the Kennedy Centre, I said, ‘Oh, my God, this is a serious award,’" he joked during a break from rehearsals.

The 78-year-old son of a watchmaker said that despite a lifetime of performing, he would still be nervous at the gala, where some of America’s premier comics will pay homage to him.

"When I first started, when I was 17 years old … the first time I went onstage, I was petrified," he said. "I have a feeling that tonight that emotion is going to well up again. I can feel it coming on."

Reiner, born in the Bronx in 1922, got his first job at the age of 16 as a machinist’s helper but also started acting in local theatre. After being drafted into the Army, he honed his craft during the World War II, touring the South Pacific as a comedian in GI revues.

But it was in 1961 that Reiner hit the big time on the small screen, creating and writing "The Dick Van Dyke Show." It ran for five years before he gave it up so it would not grow tired and old.

Reiner said if he was to be remembered for one thing, it would be that show, which is still syndicated today.

In five decades, Reiner has been both prolific and versatile, having also served as a movie and television producer and been a successful author.

"I learned everything that I know about comedy and about show business and a lot about life from Carl," Dick Van Dyke said before the show.