John Travolta, Julia Roberts and (inset) Oprah Winfrey
Meet The Famous; INF; inset: Abaca
Oprah Winfrey endured some good-natured jokes about her wealth, influence and humanitarian work from the likes of Chris Rock, John Travolta and others at Sunday night's Kennedy Center Honors gala.
Travolta told the audience that he'd been "used" by the talk-show queen, 56, in a nefarious plot to help victims of Hurricane Katrina – telling him to fill his private plane with food and medicine and meet her in New Orleans. Immediately.
"Take note, world – that's how you use people," Travolta said. "You do the right thing. You do the Oprah thing."
Chris Rock delivered some zingers, saying he first met Winfrey "about 30 years ago in a strip club in Mississippi. Okay, I'm lying, it was Buffalo."
Motioning to the VIP section, where the guests included President Obama, Rock added: "It's amazing to look up and see the most powerful person in the world – and next to her, Barack Obama. Hey, he didn't get her a job, she got him a job."
Meanwhile, Barbara Walters told Winfrey, "I am totally responsible for your career," but then conceded: "She is the best interviewer ever. No one comes close. Not even me. Those of you who know me, know how painful it was for me to say that."
Julia Roberts added: "I think she's pretty damn close to perfect ... fabulous, shining, Margarita-drinking perfect."
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual gala recognizing those in the performing arts for their lifetime contributions to American culture. This year's gala will air on CBS on Dec. 28.
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