"This is the craziest evening ever," the buxom Hopkins said.
As he toyed with the newly-polished lid of the pudding pot, Hopkins said he plans to bring the award back to his home in California--and place it next to his Oscar.
But first, he said--in another allusion to his man-eating role--he plans to put Forkner's fingers in the pot.
All joking aside, Hopkins said last night's award ranks with the Oscar in emotional significance.
"It's a part of Americana. It's a part of the myth," he said.
And Hopkins said the award is especially meaningful because it comes from Harvard.
"It's actually a piece of irony that I'm here tonight," Hopkins said. "I went through my academic career without a clue. To be at an American university as great as Harvard is a thrill and an honor."
--Staff writer Daniela J. Lamas can be reached at lamas@fas.harvard.edu.