LOS ANGELES — Engelbert Humperdink has one. Clint Eastwood does not. John, George and Ringo — yes. Paul McCartney? Not yet. And George Clooney would be in the club if only someone could persuade him to show up for the ceremony.
When it comes to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the sidewalk tourist attraction that encompasses 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of intersecting Vine Street, it’s not so much who you know, but whether you’re willing to play by the rules.
For starters, someone in the celebrity’s camp must fill out an application form that includes the star’s signed promise that he or she will attend the ceremony.
No pledge? No ceremony. Which is why Eastwood, Julia Roberts and Clooney aren’t among the 2,450 honorees lining Hollywood’s sidewalks.
A five-member committee meets annually in June to consider about 250 to 300 applicants from five categories of the entertainment industry — film, television, music, broadcast radio and theater, a category added in 1984.
As you might imagine, some of the candidates possess light resumes. Others wouldn’t be able to show up for obvious reasons.
“We’ve had applications from Santa Claus and the duck that represents an insurance company on commercials,” said Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez, who attends the voting meeting and decides where the stars are eventually placed on the street.
“Somebody insisted Shakespeare should have a star,” Martinez said.
Typically, the walk’s committee selects 20 to 24 honorees a year, who must then pay a $30,000 sponsorship fee. This covers the cost of constructing the 3-foot-wide stars as well as the cost of the ceremony. A portion of this money also goes to the Walk’s trust fund for continued maintenance.
Of course, the honorees themselves rarely foot the bill. Recipients have five years to schedule their ceremony. Most celebrities time the event to coincide with a promotional opportunity.
“Stars like to make it a big deal,” said Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Leron Gubler. “That’s the way they are. They get a little more bang for their buck out of it when they time it right.”
Thus, September’s star recipients Neil Patrick Harris and Jon Cryer scheduled their ceremonies to coincide with the fall premieres of their long-running television series, “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men,” respectively. The shows’ production companies each paid the fee, which was $25,000 at that time.
Rock star Melissa Etheridge, a recent honoree, saw her star unveiled in front of the Hard Rock Cafe, which, not coincidentally, paid her bill.
The Walk of Fame, along with the famous movie star footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, remain popular attractions for tourists visiting Los Angeles.
“It’s a way for people to connect with their favorite celebrities,” said USC professor Leo Braudy, “though if you really want to meet one, you’d have a lot more luck going to the nearest supermarket.”
Numbers
2,450 Honorees who have a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
At least 250 Applications submitted annually for stars, of which a committee approves 20 to 24
$30,000 Sponsorship fee each honoree must pay before getting a star, although the honorees themselves rarely foot the bill
