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Looking for stars on the Walk of Fame

The Walk of Fame is the best known and most visited stretch of the Hollywood Boulevard. For more than 2 kilometres, both sides of the street are dotted with iconic pink stars with a golden lining. Thousands of celebrities have already been immortalized this way and new stars are added every month.

Created in 1958, the Walk of Fame was the brainchild of E. M. Stuart, the Vice President of Hollywood’s Chamber of Commerce. Stuart created the Walk of Fame to pay tribute to the glory and glamour of Hollywood. The Walk begins at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea and runs all the way to Gower Street. Both sides of the boulevard are decorated with stars. Vine Street, a side street off Hollywood Boulevard, is also dotted with stars. To see all the stars, get ready for a 5.5-km walk.

Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard

Los Angeles

Missing stars

Many famous names are still missing from the Walk of Fame. A celebrity is not just randomly picked to receive a star. Every year, with the celebrity’s permission, a nomination is submitted for a spot on the Walk of Fame. Of the approximately 300 nominations received each year, only 24 or so are approved. But the star does not come cheap; a sponsor must fund US$30,000 for each star. Once a celebrity has been nominated, he or she has up to 5 years to set a date for the ceremony that accompanies the tile laying. If the celebrity fails to set a date, the nomination will be void. Reportedly, there are many celebrities who have been nominated years ago but still haven’t picked a date.
Jennifer Lopez’s star ceremony
Spot celebrities on the Walk of Fame

Stars galore

Many visitors hope to run into a celebrity, so attending a star ceremony is the perfect opportunity. The celebrity must be present when his or her star is added to the Walk of Fame. The dates for the ceremonies are always announced on the official Walk of Fame website. Here you will also find a list with all the names of celebrities who already have a star. That makes it a lot easier to find the star of your favourite actor or actress.

Apollo XI: stars on the moon

There are 5 categories of stars: film, television, music, theatre and radio. Next to the name of the celebrity is an icon that indicates the category. In recent years there have been a few exceptions to these categories. Disneyland, for example, has its own star with the icon of a building, and the Los Angeles Police Department has a star with an LAPD officer's badge. The astronauts aboard the Apollo XI who first set foot on the moon, were given a private moon on the sidewalk, right next to their stars. This moon with stars can be found at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
The Walk of Fame moon for Apollo XI

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