Shirley MacLaine was among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honor Sunday night.
She says what makes it so special for her is that it's given out for her lifetime of work as an actress - rather than for just a role or two. MacLaine has never been shy about saying what she thinks, whether it's about her view of the afterlife or what her reaction was when she found out she got the award.
MacLaine says her first thought when she was told was: "it's about time."
MacLaine says she didn't even mind when President Barack Obama joked with her about Area 51 - saying he was the first president to officially acknowledge its existence.
Also receiving awards Sunday nighte were musicians Billy Joel, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, and opera star Martina Arroyo.
