How do you get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
Showbiz legends from across the history of Hollywood get a star on the Walk of Fame, if they can get through the rigorous selection process.
There aren't many things that say an entertainer has "made it" more than getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Among the nearly 3,000 stars covering a mile and a half of Hollywood Boulevard are the most famous and significant figures in showbiz history... and Donald Trump.
The responsibility for deciding who gets one of these stars lies with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, so they are the folks you need to impress if you want to join the megastars and Oscar winners along the Boulevard. With around 10 million visitors every year, it's certainly confirmation that you're a household name.
So how do they choose? Let's take a look at the process around getting your name on the world's most famous footpath.
How do you get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
The good news is that you, reading this, can actually nominate a celebrity of your choice for a star on the Walk of Fame. The only slight snag is that you need a letter of approval from that celebrity in order for the nomination to become official.
Read more: Shamed stars won't be removed from the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Yahoo Entertainment)
So there's no point nominating the likes of Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Julia Roberts. They've all turned down the chance for a star in the past. It's unlikely anything has changed.
At that point, it's down to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to decide whether the nominee is worthy of selection. They must fit into at least one of the six categories — motion pictures, TV, radio, recording, live theatre/performance, and sports entertainment — and fulfil the criteria of "professional achievement, longevity in the category of five years or more, contributions to the community and the guarantee that the celebrity will attend the dedication ceremony if selected".
If somebody is chosen, they must then pay a $75,000 (£59,000) fee to fund the creation and installation of their star. In Hollywood, nothing comes for free.
Read more: Chris Hemsworth thought he got a Walk of Fame star years ago and acted like he 'knew what was happening' (Entertainment Weekly)
Once they have been selected, they then have a two-year window to schedule their ceremony, which is why so many are tied into the promotional campaigns for new projects. For example, Chris Hemsworth's ceremony took place in May 2024 to mark the release of Mad Max prequel Furiosa.
Some selected nominees don't yet have a star because they haven't scheduled their ceremony. This includes George Clooney and Denzel Washington — both of whom have stars on hold and waiting to be installed.
Who got the first Hollywood Walk of Fame star?
Chamber of Commerce president E.M. Stuart is the man credited with coming up with the original idea for what would become the Walk of Fame, way back in 1953. He saw it as a great way to preserve Hollywood history and recognise those who made the movie industry such an enormous success at the height of Old Hollywood.
Read more: Zac Efron praises late co-star Matthew Perry in Hollywood Walk of Fame speech (PA Media)
Eight prototype stars were installed in 1958, drawn at random from the original list of 1,558 people who would get the Walk of Fame started. Joanne Woodward — Oscar winner for The Three Faces of Eve — was one of these eight and is often listed as the first person to receive a star, despite the fact the initial crop were all technically given one at the same time.
The first permanent star was completed in 1960, honouring Stanley Kramer — director of films including It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Can a celebrity get more than one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
There are actually quite a few celebrities who have multiple stars given the breadth of their experience across the industry, earning stars in different categories. The record holder is country music and movie legend Gene Autry — best known these days for Christmas songs like Here Comes Santa Claus — who is the only performer to have five stars, covering every category other than the 2023 addition of a sporting star.
Read more: Jennifer Garner gave Mark Ruffalo his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and the nostalgia is real (Motherly)
Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, Roy Rogers, and Tony Martin all have four stars, while there have been more than 30 people with enough showbiz success to get three stars on the Walk of Fame. So if you've only got one star so far, stop slacking. It's not good enough!
