Whose star is on the Walk of Fame wall. How are they given a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Get to know the Avenue of Stars from colorful photos

If you own a television, can read, and live in this century, then chances are you've heard of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the 5.6-kilometer walkway that runs along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Vine Street in Los Angeles, California, where stage and screen stars often kneel.

Created in 1958, the star-studded walkway currently includes some 2,500 stars, with about 25 new stars added every year. This is a truly unique and lasting tribute to and recognition of our favorite stars, however, there is sometimes much more behind the stories of these stars than meets the eye.

10. One of the stars is actually the Moon

To receive a star on the Walk of Fame, you must make a major contribution to one of five areas of entertainment - film, television, music, radio or theater. It's very rare that someone outside of Hollywood is considered worthy enough for such an honor.

However, the Walk of Fame Committee has been known to deviate from the rules when an outside contribution is particularly valuable. For example, in January 1993, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins received a plaque for their “contributions.” to the television industry" in connection with their historic moon landing, which was broadcast to homes around the world. Instead of a star, their plaque was a moon containing their names, the date of their landing, and the name Apollo XI.

9. Many politicians have stars


Arnold Schwarzenegger was the second governor of California to receive the star, the first being Ronald Reagan, who is also the only US president to ever receive such an honor. Ex-president, for his part, starred in over fifty films, as well as several television productions, and even served as president of the Screen Actors Guild during his acting years.

Several other politicians also received acting stars, including George Murphy, Helen Gahagan, William Harrison Hays, and former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.

8. You can steal stars


During the history of the Walk of Fame, four stars have been stolen, each weighing about 136 kilograms. The Kirk Douglas and James Stewart stars were stolen in 2000 when they were temporarily removed for renovations. They were later found in the home of one of the construction workers, but both stars had to be rebuilt because they had suffered significant damage. Gene Autry also lost one of his five stars in construction.

In the last but not least theft, Gregory Peck's star was brutally ripped out, with the thieves using a concrete saw to remove the star from its place. Autry and Peck's original stars were never discovered and eventually had to be replaced.

7. Families with the most big amount stars


While many families can boast more than one star on the Walk of Fame, the only family to receive greatest number honors are the Barrymores, whose members have earned at least seven stars. John and his brother Lionel (who has two), their sister Ethel, uncle Sidney Drew, John Drew, and Drew are all represented on the Walk of Fame.

However, the stars of the family are not just lumped together. The locations of the stars on the Walk of Fame are determined methodically, for example, worldwide famous icons genre shows are usually located near Grauman's Chinese Theater (TCL Chinese Theater), and Oscar winners are usually located near the Dolby Theatre, so that both are located on Hollywood Boulevard. Drew Barrymore's star was placed directly in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, cementing her legacy as the scion of Hollywood royalty.

6. The actors who played the munchkins in the film “The Wizard of Oz” received one star for all


Munchkins are the lovable inhabitants of the Blue Country that were introduced in the 1939s in The Wizard of Oz, one of the most famous Hollywood classics of all time. The Munchkins were played by 124 actors, as well as several child actresses who were chosen for their relative height to the adults. In 2007, all 124 munchkins were awarded a star on the Walk of Fame. The Munchkins star represents 112 adults and 12 children, the largest group of individual actors represented by a single star.

5. Some of the stars are simply missing

One would think that the Walk of Fame would maintain impeccable order and an accurate register of the location of the stars, but this is apparently not the case, because two stars seemingly disappeared into thin air and still cannot be found. Today the stars opera singer Richard Crooks and actress Geraldine Farrar remain missing. Whether they were overlooked, stolen or simply never identified, their location continues to be one of the most big secrets Walk of Fame.

4. Star Julio Iglesias has his own cleanup team.

Fans can do some pretty crazy things when they finally get to see their idols' stars for the first time. From simple messages and drawings, to breaking and taking out pieces as keepsakes, people's love seems to know no bounds. Luckily for Julio Iglesias, his fans are mostly older women. Once a month, a group of his devoted fans wash and polish his star, always keeping it in excellent condition.

Another Walk of Fame fan, John “Mr Starshine” Peterson, also spends his days cleaning and polishing the Walk of Fame's stars. Living only on donations from tourists, passersby and grateful merchants, he is usually somewhere in the Alley, with his cleaning supplies and rags, cleaning the stars from morning to evening.

3. More than a dozen stars look exactly the same


The alley contains different plaques for people sharing the same surname. In fact, the surname "Williams" can be found on 15 various stars. Several stars are also marked same names, even if they represent different artists - for example, there are two Robin Williams, two Harrison Fords, and two Michael Jacksons, to name a few.

These duplicates have often led to cases of mistaken identity, such as in the case of star Michael Jackson. After the King of Pop died in 2009, fans left candles, flowers and other mementos on his star, or so they thought. As it turns out, the radio host also named Michael Jackson has his own star, and fans mistakenly left all these things to him.

2. Fictional characters can also get stars


On his 50th birthday in 1978, Mickey Mouse became the first animated character to be awarded a star on the Walk of Fame. Bugs Bunny received his star a few years later, in 1985. Other noteworthy fictional characters with real-life stars include: Kermit the Frog, Donald Duck, Tinker Bell, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, Shrek (Shrek), and The Simpsons.

In 2004, Godzilla became the first monster to receive a star, 50 years after his big screen debut and hours before his release. last movie"Godzilla: Final Wars"(Godzilla: Final Wars). Dog characters Strongheart and Lassie received their stars in 1960, followed by Rin Tin Tin in 1963, in honor of all the dogs who played their roles masterfully and won our hearts again. and again.

1. Muhammad Ali's star is on the wall


Most of us know Muhammad Ali as a world boxing champion, but few know that he is also public figure, and the hero of numerous books and films. In fact, his promotion of religious freedom, racial justice, and his often controversial statements led the Agency national security The United States (NSA) began monitoring his correspondence, and his refusal to fight in Vietnam led to his arrest and confiscation of the World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2002, following the release of the film Ali, the Walk of Fame Committee broke with tradition and installed Muhammad Ali's star on the wall of the Dolby Theater complex, rather than on the sidewalk as tradition required. This was done after Ali noted that he did not want his star to be stepped on by people who had no respect for him.

The process of receiving a personalized star on the Walk of Fame is initiated by representatives of the person whose name they want to perpetuate with his own consent. In general, the process can be described as follows.

1. Anyone, including fans of the person whose star is proposed to be pledged, can nominate a person active in one of the entertainment categories, including obtaining his (or his representatives') consent to the nomination. About two hundred such appointments are received per year.
2. Further the process is underway review by the Selection Committee of received applications, as a result of which about twenty people are selected who should receive Stars over the next year (including one posthumous one awarded annually.)
3. After this, living candidates for receiving the Star must give their consent and personally attend the appointment ceremony (although the date of the ceremony can be determined by the celebrity herself at any time within five years). The unveiling ceremony of the posthumous Star must be attended by a relative of the deceased.
4. The organization nominating an approved candidate must provide a fee of approximately $30,000 for the manufacture and installation of the Star. The nominating organization can be film studios, music labels, journalists, fan clubs and any other people involved in the nomination.
5. The location for the new Star is determined, the slab is made, and all associated ceremonies and activities are carried out.

There are several restrictions on who can be appointed:

• The candidate must have worked in the assigned category for at least five years.
• At least five years must pass from the death of the candidate receiving the posthumous star.
• Stars of members of the Selection Committee cannot be placed on the Walk of Fame (except for the Chairman's) to avoid abuse of position.
• The candidate's contribution must be significant and recognized in the field in which he is nominated.

If a celebrity is nominated but fails the initial screening process, they may be considered again the following year without repeating the nomination cycle. However, if failure occurs again, it is necessary to re-initiate the entire process of submitting documentation for appointment and undergo selection along with the general list.

Of course, sometimes certain deviations from the established procedure occur. For example, Barbra Streisand was unable to attend the opening ceremony of her own Star in 1976, but still received it. Under similar conditions, George Clooney, for example, lost his monument.

Stars are not always awarded to obviously candidates related to five of the categories considered: film industry, television, music, radio, theater. In some cases, the Committee deviates somewhat from the rules and looks for a convenient excuse to put a star on a nominee who is the pride of the nation. This is how the stars appeared on the Alley American astronauts. True, instead of a star, the moon was depicted, and the monument was classified as television, since the broadcast of the Apollo 11 landing attracted a record number of viewers. And, for example, Mohammed Ali received his Star in theater category, since the Committee took advantage of a free interpretation of the understanding of “theater” and classified boxing as this activity.

The location of the star is also not always determined by the Committee. From time to time, its members listen to the wishes of celebrities. So, Mohammed Ali did not want tourists to go by the name of the prophet, so his Star was installed on the wall. Or, for example, actress Carol Burnett insisted that her Star be located at the Warner Cinema, from which she was fired, calling her a “worthless usherette” 25 years before receiving a place on the Alley.

The other day, David Duchovny took possession of a star on the famous Alley. This was both pleasing and surprising: why an artist with 25 years of experience, known for the TV series Twin Peaks, “ Secret materials” and “Californication”, have only now received their place under the Californian sun? A star is not an Oscar: the criteria for receiving it are much simpler. The committee usually selects prominent celebrities whom it wishes to award (to do this, it is enough to have worked in the field of cinema, theater, music, TV or radio for more than five years). And even if the jury remains indifferent to the artist’s activities, he or his fan club can independently submit a petition. The main thing is to reserve a place, pay 30 thousand dollars and come at the right time to pose for photographers on the opening day of your personal star.

However, some celebrities still have not received the insignia in Los Angeles.

George Clooney

George reasons like this: he already has 2 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes and 4 prizes from the Venice Festival for directing and acting, so why does he also need a star on the Walk of Fame? Moreover, Clooney was offered a place on a Hollywood street more than once, but he did not accept any. And yet, fans have a chance that the actor will change his decision. He didn’t want to get married before either and even bet money with his colleagues that he would never allow himself to be tied down. And in September 2014, he finally walked down the aisle with Amal. Everything changes, you just need to give the artist time to brew.

Julia Roberts

The reason is the same as Clooney’s: the actress simply doesn’t care about the star. The committee's persuasion does not work: they all invite the beauty to the award ceremony, and she cancels the meetings. You can’t capture it on a star anyway!

George Lucas

Just imagine how offended George is: his “ star Wars“Every year they become more and more popular, but there are still no places on the Walk of Fame. Moreover, the film's visual effects director, Dennis Muren, has his own star, which he received back in 1999. Lucas even attended that ceremony, although he looked very gloomy. Apparently, already at that moment he knew that the star would not shine for him!

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

It is not clear who is standing in the way of Angelina Jolie’s stardom: her own reluctance, the silence of the committee or some other forces, but the first beauty of Hollywood does not have her own tile on the Alley. By the way, her star doesn’t either. Interestingly, the main antagonist of Brangelina, Jennifer Aniston, did not skimp on buying her star in February 2012. And the couple, 3 months after this event (coincidence?), announced their engagement.

Beyoncé

Fans encourage the singer to bookmark a star, but she has no time for that: there are too many royal affairs. Besides, technically, Bea already has it all: in 2006, she attended the star unveiling in honor of Destiny’s Child with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Alas, Beyoncé’s chosen one, rapper Jay Z, also does not have his own mark on the famous Alley.

Leonardo DiCaprio

It’s funny, of course, but Leonardo doesn’t have a star (like the notorious Oscar), although he has something for it! In the film community they joke that the actor has staged a kind of boycott: he is not going to waste his time and money on a nameplate, since he was never awarded a golden statuette. If he is still awarded this year, then perhaps he will break his proud spirit and be noted on the Walk of Fame.

Robert DeNiro

De Niro has long become his go-to guy both in America and in the country of his ancestors, Italy, received a bunch of awards and starred in hundreds of films. What's stopping the committee from giving him a star? At least the actor himself would definitely not refuse such an award!

Al Pacino

Also, for some unknown reason, he was never immortalized. Either the actor feels sorry for 30 thousand, or the committee never watched the film “Scent of a Woman,” for which the artist received an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

Denzel Washington

If the selection committee doesn't want a repeat of the Oscars, where several celebrities refused to attend this year due to the fact that , it would be better to give the well-deserved star to Denzel. The track record is more than worthy: more than 40 films, 2 Oscars and an impeccable reputation in Hollywood. Denzel is one of the few actors who promotes not sex and rock and roll, but evening prayer and daily trips to church.

Kim Kardashian

Kim, of course, would be glad to get a nameplate, but the committee turned out to be an impregnable fortress for her. The TV personality submitted a petition several times, but she was always answered the same way: in the listed categories there is no “reality star” division, and Kim does not have any prominent awards or films (sex videos don’t count!). What is most upset about this is not even Kim, but her hubby Kanye, who was also left without a star distinction. He already said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel that the world is sick if there is still no star of his dear wife on the famous Alley. But this story is probably only a matter of time. Kim may not have the necessary achievements, but she has ambitions. Once they didn’t want to let her into Vogue, also because of the non-format, but now she already has three covers to her credit.

Goldie Hawn and her partner Kurt Russell were honored with stars on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 4, 2017. Many fans were surprised that these celebrities waited so long to receive their award. But you will be even more surprised when you find out how many others are just as talented people never received their star. Most of them have already won countless awards, including more than one Oscar, but their names have never appeared on Vine Street. Let's hope that one day this will happen.

1. Julia Roberts

She was nominated for several Academy Awards and won an Oscar for main role in the film "Erin Brockovich" back in 2000. But Julia has yet to see her name on the Walk of Fame.

2. Angelina Jolie

The actress, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador, won an Oscar for her on-screen prowess and was recognized for helping the world's poor, but somehow she was never awarded her own star.

3. Al Pacino

This actor became famous back in 1972, after his role in the cult film “ Godfather”, but he is still waiting for his name to appear on the Walk of Fame.

4. Denzel Washington

No, you won't find the name of the owner of two Oscar statuettes on the Walk of Fame.

5. Robert De Niro

Like his colleague Al Pacino, Robert never received recognition in the form of a star on the Walk of Fame, despite decades of success in the film industry.

6. Clint Eastwood

He has been nominated for eight Oscars and even has three wins, both as an actor and as a director, but he still doesn't have a star.

7. Oprah Winfrey

It is impossible to list all the awards that the former talk show host has received over the years. However, she never managed to get her star on the Walk of Fame.

8. Christopher Walken

This amazing actor has played more than a hundred roles over the decades of his work, but apparently this is not enough to get his star.

9. David Letterman

During his time as Late Show host, he interviewed many of the celebrities who are on the Walk of Fame, but was never able to get on there himself.

10. Leonardo DiCaprio

After five nominations, he was finally able to receive a gold statuette for his role in the film The Revenant. Let's hope he won't have to wait as long for a star on the Walk of Fame.

11. Steve Martin

This actor has been making us laugh every time we watch his movies for decades, but he still keeps waiting for a star with his name on Vine Street.

12. Judi Dench

It turns out that even a lady whose talent was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II herself cannot change anything when it comes to the famous sidewalk of the stars.

13. Jerry Seinfeld

It seems strange that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has failed to recognize this actor's comic talent and has yet to give him his own star.

14. Will Smith

This talented actor Over his long career, he has appeared in many films and won many awards, but it seems that this is not enough to get a star with his name.

15. Diane Keaton

There is no star on the Walk of Fame for the actress, who has been working in the film industry since her screen debut in 1970.

16. James Earl Jones

It is truly incomprehensible how this iconic actor could work in cinema for so long and not be awarded this honor?

Hollywood Alley Fame is considered one of business cards Los Angeles. This alley is famous for the fact that many stars with the names of the most famous Hollywood artists are built into its sidewalks. Today, the Walk of Fame stretches for 15 blocks on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and Wine Street. Undoubtedly, this monument to show business is one of the most successful ever created. marketing moves. Every Hollywood actor, musician or TV presenter dreams of seeing his name on this famous alley, and there are more than 10 million people who want to walk along it every year.

There is a lot of inaccurate and untrue information floating around the history of the construction of the Walk of Fame, so we consider it important to provide our readers with true story creation and development of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

History of the creation of the Walk of Fame

The idea of ​​​​creating the Walk of Fame came in 1953 to the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Industry E.M. Stewart. Stewart wanted to immortalize the names of famous Hollywood artists on the sidewalk, thereby increasing their already high popularity, as well as attracting tourists to Hollywood. While developing the Walk of Fame project, Stewart instructed his assistants to find original ideas to reflect the names of Hollywood actors on the sidewalk. Where exactly the idea of ​​placing names in the shape of stars came from, history is silent, but there are suggestions that this idea was taken out of thin air. Namely, from the ceiling of the Hollywood Hotel restaurant, on which stars were depicted, with the names of the actors inscribed inside.

In 1955, the Walk of Fame project was completed and sent to collect signatures. A year later, the plan to build the alley was approved by the Los Angeles City Council, which allocated the necessary amount for construction work.

In February 1956, the first example of the Walk of Fame star was presented to the public. It depicted a caricature of the then popular actor John Wayne. However, due to the high production costs and the difficulty of applying a pattern to the surface of the tile, this version of the star was rejected. It was also proposed to change the colors of the alley, instead of the originally proposed combination of brown and blue colors on black coral.

For an objective selection of candidates whose names were to be placed on the Walk of Stars, 4 committees were created, each of which represented a particular entertainment industry, namely: cinema, television, sound recording and radio. The list of committee members included the most famous names in the field of show business, such as: Walt Disney, Cecil DeMille, Samuel Goldwyn, Hal Roach, Jesse Lasky, Walter Lantz and Mack Sennett.

After the first week of the committee's work, 150 names were proposed. The selection process was not without heated debate. One of them flared up because Charlie Chaplin’s name was not included in the original list.

To demonstrate what the Avenue of Stars would look like, 8 randomly selected stars were temporarily installed on Hollywood Boulevard.

This experimental eight included: Ronald Colman, Edward Sedgwick, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Olive Borden, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Torrance, and Joan Woodward.

Who was the first to get on the Walk of Fame?

Due to the fact that a photo of actress Joanne Woodward posing next to her star hit the press earlier than others, many decided that it was her star who became the first on the Walk of Fame. However, this is not true, because all 8 stars were placed simultaneously with a single ceremony for all.

It was expected that after this event, construction of the Walk of Fame would begin in accelerated mode, however lawsuits, concerning the cutting down of trees and lighting the area, delayed construction for another 1 year.

The first star to be placed on the Walk of Fame was directed by Stanley Kramer and placed on the eastern side of Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960. In the spring of 1961, work on installing the stars was completed, at that time 1,558 stars were laid on the Walk of Fame.

Due to bureaucratic procedures, the next star on the Walk of Fame appeared only on December 11, 1968. Its owner was comedian Danny Thomas. Since that time, ceremonies for presenting stars on the Walk of Fame have been held quite often. In 1972, Charlie Chaplin finally received his star.

In 1972, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was included in the list of cultural and historical monuments of Los Angeles.

In 1980, she appeared on the Walk of Fame new star TV presenter Johnny Grant, this event changed the further history of the famous alley. Johnny was so delighted with the honor that he was given all possible support for the Walk of Stars. The House was impressed by Grant's efforts and asked him to chair one of the committees. From then until his death (January 2008), the name Johnny Grant became synonymous with the Walk of Fame.

In 1984, under his leadership, a fifth category of stars was added - "Live Theater". Johnny insisted that the artist to whom the star was awarded attend the presentation in person. He is also credited with determining the location of the new stars. When planning the construction of the Walk of Fame, it was assumed that it could accommodate no more than 2,518 stars. In this regard, at the end of the 1990s, places for stars began to run out. To solve this problem, Johnny Grant decided to create a second row of stars on the sidewalk, which would alternate with the existing stars.

In February 1994, as part of the intensification of the Los Angeles reconstruction project, the Walk of Fame was expanded by another 1 block. To attract public attention, 30 new stars were opened in the new block of the Walk of Fame, and the symbolic two thousandth star was awarded to Sophia Loren.

In 2008, the Walk of Fame was reconstructed. 778 stars were repaired or completely replaced. A total of $4.2 million was spent on restoration, most of which was donated by well-known companies and representatives of show business.

Who owns the most stars on the Walk of Fame?

Gene Autry is the only artist who owns stars in all 5 categories. 4 stars have Mickey Rooney, Tony Martin, Roy Rogers and Bob Hope. 30 artists have stars in 3 categories, including Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye and George Barnes.

Interesting facts about the Walk of Fame

Ronald Reagan is the only US President and 1 of 2 California governors (the other is Arnold Schwarzenegger) to have his own star on the Walk of Fame.

Mickey Mouse was the first cartoon character to receive a star, followed by Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Winnie the Pooh, Shrek, The Simpsons, etc.

There are no stars on the Walk of Fame for Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts due to the fact that they disagreed with their placement, and George Clooney and John Denver refused to attend the unveiling of their stars.

Pseudonyms are indicated on the 7 stars laid out on the Walk of Fame.

During the existence of the Walk of Fame, several stars were installed with spelling errors, but after some time these stars were replaced.

To the question: “ how many stars are on the Walk of Fame?"It is impossible to give an exact answer, because their number is constantly growing. Today there are more than 2.5 thousand of them, each of which is built into a terrazz slab of the sidewalk.

Today, Walks of Fame have appeared in other cities in the USA, Europe and Asia. Now you can see stars on the sidewalk in Kyiv, Berlin, Vienna, Kazan, Delhi, etc. But the Hollywood Walk of Fame remains the most famous, longest and most visited in the world. The editors of the All About USA website would like you to walk along this famous alley, and perhaps someday see your name there.