Who has a star on the walk of fame. Hollywood Walk of Fame - an open-air museum of stars

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is considered one of the 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. Without a doubt, this showbiz monument is one of the most successful marketing ploys ever created. 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 Hollywood actors On Pavement. 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 featured a caricature of John Wayne, a popular actor at the time. 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 at an accelerated pace, but lawsuits regarding 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, TV presenter Johnny Grant’s new star appeared on the Walk of Fame; this event changed further history 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.

Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts' stars are missing from the Walk of Fame because 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.

Going to Los Angeles today and not going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame is like being in Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. It is common knowledge that the stars with celebrity names embedded in the sidewalk slabs along the 18 blocks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street are awarded for special contributions to the entertainment industry. But only employees of the “dream factory” can claim such an award? How do they even get on this historical list and is their own star worth it? Let's figure it out.

The idea of ​​an alley glorifying names prominent figures entertainment industry, was proposed by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President E.M. Stewart in 1953. Many people liked the idea, but it took almost 8 years to bring it to fruition. The five-year period was spent compiling a list of candidates by a special Selection Committee (which included Walt Disney and Cecil DeMille, among others), developing designs and other technical details, then there was a temporary test laying of eight stars, later moved to a new location, and only in March 1960 The names of Hollywood celestials have finally begun to be laid out en masse on the Los Angeles sidewalk, starting with director Stanley Kramer.

Whether to call Kramer the first lucky person to receive a personal monument, or to consider the members of the “test” eight as such is a matter of taste. The Selection Committee and the Chamber of Commerce are of the opinion that there cannot be any “very first” here, since the starting 8 candidates were selected at random (this list, in particular, included both Burt Lancaster, who was at the zenith of his fame, and those who had long since fallen out of the profession actresses Olive Borden and Louise Fazenda). All 8 slabs were installed into the sidewalk at the same time, and the laying itself was of a test nature, that is, not final. Kramer, in turn, also cannot be considered the first - after eight predecessors, certainly... At the same time, on the list compiled by the organizers, there were another one and a half thousand people who were worthy of perpetuation no less than Lancaster and Kramer, but who were waiting for the named stars gradually, in order queues.

Bookmark "Walk of Fame"

It was decided to make the slabs for the alley from terrazzo, a coral-pink mosaic material containing lime and granite chips. Around five-pointed star a gray background was left to match the boulevard surface; the name of its bearer was imprinted into the star itself. In addition to film workers, television, sound recording and radio workers received similar awards for their services (later, outstanding theater workers were added to them). The Selection Committee was also composed of relevant professionals, so that each branch of the entertainment industry had its own lobbyists. To make it clear to passers-by what a particular name is associated with, each star had a corresponding emblem - a movie camera, a television, a vinyl record, a radio microphone or a theater mask. At first, it was planned to also place a caricature of the corresponding figure on the slab, but it turned out to be difficult to lay out such a picture using a brass rim, so they decided to keep it simple and limit themselves to copper inscriptions.

While the first list was being compiled, the committee members quarreled quite a bit: some thought that the list worthy candidates“unworthy” ones wormed their way in, others were offended that their personal favorites were ignored. But both of them decided that Charlie Chaplin, who irritated many Hollywood people with his “leftist” views, had no place on the list. Chaplin's son found such discrimination offensive and sued the Chamber of Commerce for a long time to reinstate his father on the list or pay $400,000 in compensation for moral damages he suffered, but achieved nothing other than stalling the start of construction of the alley for several years. Some time later, the chamber, however, reconsidered its attitude towards the great comedian: Charlie Chaplin, even after his death, still received his personal star.

So, after much shaking and delay, the opening of the “Walk of Fame” finally took place, although the completion of all work was delayed for another whole year, until the spring of 1961. Hollywood Boulevard was renovated for the occasion, equipped with new lights and planted with trees. Residents of the area were happy: they managed to get out of any participation in the renovation through the courts, so the townspeople got the improvement for free. The start was promising, but the beautiful idea cost the organizers a pretty penny, and public interest in it turned out to be far from being as widespread as planned. Therefore, the continuation did not follow soon.

For almost a decade, the Chamber of Commerce considered how to revive the stalled initiative and where to find funding for it, until it came up with new system: now the committee selected candidates for the star from among celebrities who could be nominated by anyone, be it an organization, company, fan club or just an individual - and the applicant himself had to pay for its production and laying (at that time it was 2500 dollars, today - 30,000). Each application had to be accompanied by a letter from the nominee stating that he would not mind receiving a star. In addition, the development of the “Walk of Stars,” conceived as an exhibition of world-class names, had to be actively promoted by the press and by the honorees themselves: the latter were strictly obliged to attend the opening ceremonies of their personal stars. If the “hero of the occasion” did not want to attend, the event was cancelled. The new strategy turned out to be effective, as it managed to attract both finance and media interest.

Having embarked on new rails, the laying of personalized paving slabs resumed in 1968 and has since become permanent. Every year, 20-25 new stars are installed, and today their total number has already exceeded 2500. The selection continues to adhere to certain principles: for example, a nominee for a star must have worked professionally in the entertainment industry for at least five years, and at least the same must have passed after leaving nominee from life, if we're talking about about the posthumous star.

However, the understanding of who is entitled to receive a personalized plaque and in what form their contribution should be recognized has changed over time. In the field of cinema, of course, not only artists were awarded, but also directors, producers, special effects masters, costume designers, and animators. But those who dealt with the “dream factory” only tangentially also ended up here, for example, writers Sidney Sheldon and Ray Bradbury, whose books were actively transferred to the big and small screens for many years. A dozen inventors also joined the ranks of Hollywood figures who helped move film technology forward, for example, the designer of the first film projector, Thomas Edison.

For special occasions, special stars were also made: for example, on the alley there are “collective” slabs (the largest went to a group of actors who played short munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” - 134 people). Twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have one star between them. A number of stars, such as the musician Liberace and the illusionist Houdini, were recorded under stage names because their real names were not known to many. In the late 70s, fictional characters began to appear on the sidewalk - Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Muppets, Shrek, The Simpsons, Godzilla and others. There are puppeteers here (for example, the author of The Muppets, Jim Henson), and makeup artists (Max Factor).

Today, Hollywood Boulevard is no longer covered only with stars; there are also other “special marks” on it, although located somewhat away from the main alley. What marks are we talking about? To honor corporations and organizations that have worked with Hollywood for many years, the committee created 19 special categories with special emblems - among those awarded corporate plaques, for example, you can see the clothing and cosmetics manufacturer Victoria's Secrets and the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. The so-called “friends of the Walk of Fame” (simply put, sponsors who help develop and renew it) - for example, Absolut vodka.

When a nominee cannot be directly attributed to any of the awarded areas of the entertainment industry, but at the same time he is the pride of the nation and a world-famous figure, the committee can deviate from the rules and find some convenient excuse to perpetuate him, since today it is impossible to be a celebrity at all not to come into any contact with the sphere of mass entertainment. Thus, stars dedicated to American astronauts appeared on the alley (in this case, the Moon was depicted instead of a star, and the “television” emblem hinted that the broadcast of the Apollo 11 lunar landing had attracted a record number of viewers). Athletes such as basketball player Magic Johnson and boxer Muhammad Ali can boast of their own stars (the committee found a way to reward the former for investing in the construction of multiplexes, while the latter was generously classified as a theater figure, since the concept of theater is interpreted very loosely in the United States today). At the same time, Ali is also the only owner of a star installed vertically - at his personal request, it was mounted in the outer wall of the Kodak Theater, because the ex-champion did not want his name to be “trampled on by those who do not respect him.”

Such whims are not prohibited by the rules. Each owner of a star can make special recommendations about where he would like to place it, and from time to time the Chamber of Commerce listens to these wishes. This is how slabs “with a legend” appear, sometimes in the form of humorous hints - for example, actress Carol Burnett in 1977 asked to install her star in front of the Warner Cinema, where she was fired 25 years earlier, calling her a “worthless usherette.” It is not necessary to explain your choice - information about why the star appeared there and not somewhere else may accidentally emerge many years later in an interview or memoir. The chamber also has its own considerations regarding the placement of stars - for example, they try to place the slabs of Oscar winners closer to the Kodak Theater, where the award ceremony for this award is traditionally held.

Celebrities who did not pass the selection sieve, but want to continue the fight, are moved to next year and again considered by the committee in general list. If they are unlucky the second time, they drop out of the race, and for each such nominee they again need to fill out a written application (every year the evaluators have to deal with about two hundred applications, that is, the competition is at least ten people per sidewalk space). Individuals selected by the committee who do not schedule time for the ceremony within five years thereafter are ineligible for a star and must be nominated again. The posthumous star is installed only once a year, and one of the relatives of the deceased must be present at the laying ceremony. Living stars must appear themselves, otherwise the bookmark of the star will be cancelled. The only exception over the years was made for Barbra Streisand: despite the fact that the actress and singer was unable to attend her own ceremony in 1976, the installation of her slab still took place. But George Clooney, for example, missed out on the star because of his busy schedule. But there were also those who simply refused to be included in the honorary list - oddly enough, there were four dozen such figures over half a century (among them Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts).

While walking along Hollywood Boulevard, you may come across a star with the same person's name on it several times. This is not a mistake or a hallucination: those who have distinguished themselves in different professions, and recognition is appropriate. At least 30 people can be proud of three stars; today there are four four-time winners, but so far only musician Gene Autry, who was wildly popular in cinema, TV and radio in the middle of the last century, has collected all five stars. It is relatively easy to get two stars - it is enough, for example, to be a popular actor and singer at the same time. In addition, a number of musicians were awarded two stars for the same thing - in different time they were awarded both their own personalized plaque and as part of the groups that glorified them: for example, Michael Jackson was immortalized both on his own and as a member of the Jackson 5, the same thing happened with the members of the Beatles.

But fans can also be confused by the banal confusion with namesakes, of which there are plenty in the entertainment industry - not everyone uses unique pseudonyms. For example, there are 15 Williams, 14 Moore and 12 Jones in the alley. Harrison Ford has a full namesake from the times of silent cinema, and Michael Jackson is often confused with the American radio DJ, to whose name plate a whole mountain of flowers was brought after the death of the musician. Among other things, individual slabs can be moved from place to place during repairs. It also happens that it is not possible to find the desired figure because his name is indicated on the plate with a typo - such errors are sometimes discovered and corrected only decades later.

Clarity in the system of awardees should be made by the serial numbers with which the stars were originally provided, but these numbers are not indicated on the plates. But those who are armed with a catalog and walk around the entire alley will notice that at least two stars are missing - no one knows where the name plates of opera singers Richard Crooks and Geraldine Farrar went and whether they were ever installed at all. Theoretically, of course, they could have simply been stolen, but practice shows that vandals steal the stars of more “pop” figures - as, for example, happened with the slab of Kirk Douglas or the same five-time “record holder” Gene Autry. This has happened at least four times already; The popularity of the Walk of Fame in the new century has grown to such an extent that someone has become willing to steal 136-kilogram pieces of marble. The stars were removed from the sidewalk at night, using saws, and they were irreversibly damaged, and even if they were eventually found, each slab had to be redone entirely. The last such incident occurred in 2005 with star Gregory Peck, and to reduce the likelihood of such incidents in the future, both sidewalks along Hollywood Alley are now monitored by video cameras.

In 2008, the alley was reconstructed, repairing almost 800 stars damaged by time and vandals. Today it is a popular place of pilgrimage for tourists who endlessly take photographs against the backdrop of sidewalk monuments (up to 10 million people come every year to gaze at the names of celestial beings cast in copper, which surpasses any other place in Los Angeles in popularity). Those wishing to take a photo in evening hours so many are recruited that they have to line up for one or another star; The task is further complicated by the fact that Hollywood Boulevard is often clogged with passersby walking on the nameplates and making it difficult to get a good photo. Most of the stars belong to cinema workers (47% of the total), the least - to theater workers (2%).

Although the idea of ​​the alley was presented in the 50s, modern rules“star giveaways” were developed in the 60s; the boulevard gained real popularity only in the 80s - largely thanks to the comedian Johnny Grant, who laid down the tradition of beautiful and memorable ceremonies. The Chamber of Commerce was so pleased with Grant's event to receive a star for his contributions to television that he was invited to chair the Walk of Fame Committee. Johnny immediately proposed a number of innovations - in particular, he added a fifth, “theatrical” category to the list of nominations, and also ordered to save space on the boulevard (which, although long, is not endless) and lay star slabs along the roadway in more than one row, but in two. Under Grant’s patronage, the alley managed to become a landmark not just of a city, but also of an all-American scale: for its popularization, Johnny, who until his death in 2008 opened the opening ceremonies of sidewalk stars, was honored with his own unique slab near the Kodak Theater.

Anyone can become a witness to the star ceremonies. Announcements about when and whose star will be opened in the near future can be read on the official website of the alley (however, this information cannot be trusted blindly, since dates are often postponed). Free public ceremonies occur approximately twice a month. They usually start at 11:30 and last no more than 45 minutes, after which the gathered crowd is asked to quickly disperse so as not to interfere with pedestrian traffic. When the star is unveiled, the celebrity is presented with a framed certificate containing a photo of their nameplate and the date it was laid.

When the owner of a particular star dies, a mountain of flowers and photographs brought by grieving fans traditionally grows near his name on the sidewalk - in such cases, the impromptu memorial even has to be fenced off. Flowers also appear later - on anniversaries; This is how the public said goodbye to Katharine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Robin Williams and many others.

Over the decades, the Walk of Fame has developed its own myths and superstitions, spread by fans with a particularly rich imagination. Some of the slabs on it (for example, Charlie Chaplin's slab) are considered “bad” and bring bad luck, so touching them is not recommended. Others, on the contrary, have a reputation for being “happy.” Behind financial well-being recommend going to the stove of Carol Lombard or Veronica Lake, and those who want to meet true love, put a rose on Audrey Hepburn's stove and walk around it 9 times, making a wish. In addition, since the 80s there has been a widespread tradition of the “star touch”, which supposedly energizes any visitor to the Walk of Fame with good luck. To do this, you need to bend over the star with your favorite name, cover the first letter of the name with your left palm, and with your right palm, touch all the tips of the star one by one, doing this clockwise, starting from the top ray.

Of course, in reality everything is not as beautiful as it is described in books and catalogues. Every mega-popular tourist attraction is surrounded by people who want to make money from it, so you are unlikely to be able to calmly stroll along the alley without being harassed by cosplayers dressed up as movie characters and offering to take pictures with them for money, as well as all sorts of flyer distributors, beggars and scammers pushing clean tickets to visitors. CDs disguised as music. You may be disappointed by the area itself and the poor condition of some of the slabs. But if you find yourself on the West Coast, it would be unwise to ignore this piece of Hollywood history: after all, as was said at the beginning of the article, going to Los Angeles and not going to the Walk of Fame is the same as visiting Paris and not seeing Eiffel Tower. And there’s probably nothing to add to this.

Who invented and where did the Hollywood Walk of Fame come from? These questions are probably asked by many, although the concept itself is familiar to everyone, and every person has an idea of ​​what this place is intended for. In this article you can learn a little more about Hollywood and about the stars who were captured on the Alley, and there are even those who did not receive such an honor or simply did not come to the award ceremony. “How many Stars are there on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?” - you ask. The answer can be found in the article below.

How it all began

Believe me, many people dream of leaving their mark on history, and especially on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the 50s, the idea arose to encourage and support the fame of artists who made a special contribution to the film industry. Hollywood chamber of commerce at that time, Stuart E.M. was in charge, who gave instructions to allocate funds for the construction of the Walk of Fame. There are two opinions about how the idea of ​​​​creating the Alley, which it is now, came about: some say that in one of the restaurants in Hollywood, stars were painted on the menu with photographs of celebrities, others claim that pentagonal stars were painted on the ceiling in the dining room of the Hollywood Hotel, which became the reason for the creation of the “Walk of Stars”.

The project was ready and approved in 1956, and construction of the Hollywood Walk of Fame ended in 1959. First of all, 1550 Stars were laid, which belonged to such celebrities as Joan Woodward, Ronald Colman, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Torrance, Preston Foster and many others.

What happened to the Walk of Fame?

In the 60s, a crisis began in America, the echoes of which affected Hollywood and everything connected with it. For eight years, not a single Star was added to the Alley. One day, a certain person decides to completely change the entire structure of selection and awarding the Star, thanks to which the Walk of Fame slowly began to revive.

Johnny Grant appointed a certain fee for nominating a candidate for the Star and strictly demanded the personal presence of each selected person to lay the Star. Since then, about 20-30 Stars appear on the Alley every year.

Let's go back to 1958, when construction of the Alley was in full swing. At this time, two lawsuits hung over it, which slowed down the construction of the project. One lawsuit was filed by Charles Chaplin Jr., the son of the famous Charlie Chaplin, who was greatly affected by his father's exclusion from the List of Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And they say that the political views of Chaplin the Elder were involved in that case. But that's not the point.

The second lawsuit was filed by local property holders on the said Alley, demanding payment of monetary compensation as a construction tax. However, the claim was rejected.

List of stars on the 20th century Hollywood Walk of Fame

Stars are divided into five categories, each of which defines their contribution to the entertainment industry. So, celebrities get a star for special achievements in the film, television, recording and music industries, radio and theatre. The Hollywood Walk of Fame has thousands of Stars for various achievements. Here are a few famous people who made a special contribution to the development of the film industry in the 20th century:

List of celebrities on the 21st century Hollywood Walk of Stars

Stars of varying size and popularity were honored to have their contributions immortalized on the Walk of Fame. In the 21st century, the film industry developed at an active pace, and many popular actors and actresses received their Stars on the Hollywood Walk:

Stars who failed to get on the Walk of Fame list

The Hollywood elite is replete with various talented and promising actors. But Jim Parsons became the last American actor to receive his Star on the Walk of Fame. 2,545 Stars have found their way onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, but you'd be surprised which celebrities never received the honor or simply refused a Star. Here are some of them:

1. Robert De Niro, winner of two Oscars, was never considered for a Star on the Walk of Fame.

   

2. Tina Fey. This American actress, producer, screenwriter and novelist, has nine Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, but no Star on the Walk.
3. Brad Pitt is the most sexy man Hollywood did not have the honor of being on the Star Walk.
4. Denzel Washington has been one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood since the 80s. He boasts awards such as two Oscars, two Golden Globes, and a Tony Award, but he never received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
5. Clint Eastwood is an outstanding person in world cinema, he is the winner of four Oscars, but is absolutely not interested in receiving a Star on the Walk of Fame. However, there is always a place reserved for him there.

   

   Above is the photo of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

   Fictional characters stars

   In addition to the famous and outstanding people, the Walk of Fame also contains special Stars that were awarded to fictional characters who have become cult heroes of all times and generations:

   
   

   Unusual stars

   There are a number of Stars on Hollywood Walk that have become one-of-a-kind for one reason or another. Below are some unusual Stars:

   
   

The first thing we associate with the American film industry and the stars of famous blockbusters is Hollywood. This area of ​​Los Angeles has a record number of celebrities per square meter. Since 2006, it has its own border, life is in full swing here day and night, obeying its own laws of show business. The main monument and, at the same time, an open museum of the achievements of the entertainment industry is the Hollywood Walk of Fame - a place that everyone who has ever visited Los Angeles should visit.

Hollywood's main attraction

What kind of Walk of Stars is this, which many actors, musicians and other representatives of the creative community dream of getting into as “exhibits”? It occupies several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, whose sidewalks are lined with coral pink slabs. Each of them is decorated with a brass border and the name of a celebrity who has left their mark on the art and hearts of millions of people. Although there are those who are waiting in the wings for the Hollywood Walk of Fame to be replenished with one more famous surname, which has earned its place on the sidewalk of success. The lucky winner is given five years after the ceremony to enter his name into the gifted star.

The path of a star from the ceiling to the sidewalk

The idea of ​​​​creating an “open museum of stars” arose back in the 50s of the 20th century, and the inspiration for it was the ceiling of the Hollywood Hotel, decorated with many stars. It was decided to lay out a sidewalk from them, and work began on approving the list of candidates. Initially there were 6. Since its opening in 1960, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has increased by more than 2,500 stars - representatives of film, theater, radio, music and television. However, in order to be among the chosen ones, you need to truly deserve it and win the love of millions of viewers and listeners.

Names worthy of the Walk of Fame

Whose star can you see while walking along the famous alley? Among those who can rightfully be called legends of the film and entertainment industry are Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Charlie Chaplin, and others. Among the modern celebrities whose names are inscribed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Sting, Jennifer Lopez and many, many others. It is interesting that not only real actors and musicians, but also fictional characters have earned the honor of showing off on the alley. So, at different times, the stars of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh, The Simpsons, Shrek and some other popular cartoon characters were founded here.

Against the system: atypical cases for the Walk of Fame

Almost all the stars with the names of celebrities are built into the sidewalk of the Walk of Fame. But not all. There is one star that adorns the wall of the Dolby Theater - it belongs to the famous boxer. This is what the owner of the award himself asked in order to preserve the purity of the name of the Prophet Muhammad: it is unacceptable to trample such a star underfoot. But some representatives of the glamorous party found another solution to the problem, refusing the stars given to them. Among them Julia Roberts, George Clooney and several other celebrities. Either they felt that the Hollywood Walk of Fame was too “loud” and ostentatious a place, or they considered themselves unworthy to join the collection of the “chosen ones.”

Get to know the Avenue of Stars from colorful photos

If you have never been to Los Angeles, and Hollywood is still only a distant dream, then taking photos there will help you get closer to the “habitat” of celebrities. The Walk of Fame is imprinted on them in all its beauty and grandeur. The stars here are arranged like this: those who became the lucky winners received a place near the Kodak cinema, others - near the Chinese Grauman Theater. Have a nice walk!

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, world-famous icons of the genre are usually placed near the Grauman's Chinese Theater (TCL Chinese Theater), and Academy Award winners are usually located near the Dolby Theater, so that both were 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 whereabouts continue to be one of the Walk of Fame's biggest mysteries.

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 name "Williams" can be found on 15 different stars. Several stars also bear the same name, 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 stars are: Kermit the Frog, Donald Duck, Tinker Bell, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, 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" 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 United States National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor his correspondence, and his refusal to fight in Vietnam led to his arrest and confiscation of his championship title. World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2002, after 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.