Reese’s Rising Star

Mike Krumboltz

%photo13% A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the biggest honors an actor can receive. OK, so it's not exactly an Academy Award (or even a Golden Globe). But still, scoring one is a pretty big deal in a town that's, frankly, all about big deals.

Reese Witherspoon is the latest A-lister to get the honor. The star of the upcoming romantic comedy "How Do You Know?" unveiled her star on Wednesday with help from her two children, Ava and Deacon. The ceremony led to no small number of Web searches on what it takes to get a star. Is there a procedure to it? And, who exactly pays for it?

Here's the deal. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Every year, the organization is inundated with nominations from fans, agents, and managers who would like to see their favorite celebrity get their own star.

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Alas, not everybody qualifies. Successful candidates have to meet three criteria: professional achievement, longevity of five years in the field of entertainment, and contributions to the community.

Of course, such honors don't come cheaply. In order to cover the costs, the Chamber of Commerce charges the recipient a hefty sponsorship fee of $30,000 to help cover the costs of security and maintenance. But don't feel bad for the actors -- the fee is usually covered by a movie studio as part of a "carefully orchestrated publicity campaign for an upcoming film."

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While there are literally thousands of people with stars on the Walk of Fame (2,425 to be exact), not everybody is actually a real person. Snow White has one. Mickey Mouse, too. Even Woody Woodpecker has one. Heck, there are even a few dogs with 'em. Rin Tin Tin and Lassie both have their own stars, but we suspect both would have been just as happy with a nice scratch behind the ears.

See Reese in this exclusive clip of "How Do You Know":

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