Hollywood Blog

Sir Ben Kingsley Gets His Own Star

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He’s already a star – there is no doubt about it, but surely, Sir Ben Kingsley surely still aspired (even if it was secretly perhaps) to have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This year is a good year for the British actor – his new movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has just been released in the United States. The ceremony for his Walk of Fame star coincided with the release.

It was held at the Hollywood Boulevard and of course, many other stars were present. Bruce Willis – a star in his own right –was among the people who witnessed the honor being given to Sir Ben Kingsley. So what did the 2,410th recipient of a Hollywood star have to say about the accolade?

“Standing here today amongst you is one of the many things I thought growing up in England that would never happen to me. It was a privilege to be an enduring part of the architecture of this extraordinary city.”

Indeed, having your own star is akin to being immortalized. Not that Sir Ben Kingsley had not been immortalized in other ways prior to his being awarded a star. He has starred in countless films that have touched the lives of so many people – and they are certain to make an impact in the lives of future film-loving generations. Think Schindler’s List, Gandhi, and Oliver Twist.

Here’s to Sir Ben Kingsley and his most recent accolade!

Originally posted on May 28, 2010 @ 6:44 pm

Hollywood Star For Dennis Hopper

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It seems to me we’re hearing of people getting a Hollywood Star more often these days. Perhaps it’s because of the fact that the Hollywood greats are reaching the point that they have to immortalized – there’s no question about that. Whatever the reason, I was quite thrilled to hear that Dennis Hopper has been given his very own star. This makes him the 2,403rd person to receive one.

For those who may not have heard about it, Dennis Hopper is waging a war against prostate cancer. He announced this piece of news several months ago. While he is certainly not the first Hollywood star to experience such a struggle, it is always sad when we hear about such things. To have a Star awarded to the 73-year-old actor means so much more under these circumstances.

Dennis Hopper received a lot of support during the awarding ceremony. The Celebrity Café reports:

Jack Nicholson and David Lynch, Johnny Mathis and hundreds of photo snapping fans all came out to support the honor presented by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive Leron Gubler. Viggo Mortensen and film producer Mark Canton spoke some praise to Hopper as well.

“He is someone who has seemed to regularly rise out of the ashes of self-inflicted chaos, surprising us with his originality and wit as an artist and defying the odds by somehow staying alive physically and professionally,” spoke Mortensen.

Oh yes, Mr. Mortensen, I couldn’t have phrased that in a better way! This farm boy from Dodge City, Kansas has indeed gone a long way; and he deserves this Star so much more than some people out there.

Originally posted on March 28, 2010 @ 10:02 am

Where Is John Lennon’s Hollywood Star?

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Lennon_star_WOFFor many Hollywood figures, getting a star in the Walk of Fame is one of the pinnacles of their careers. Once you get a Hollywood star, you are immortalized. But what happens when your star disappears from the Walk of Fame?

This is what’s going on with Beatles front man John Lennon’s star. The other day, LAist reported that the star has gone missing:

Over the weekend LAist received an email tip regarding John Lennon’s star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. It seems that at 1750 Vine Street the spot “is covered up with a trashbag, and beneath that is an empty outline of a star,” prompting Lennon fans on the Beatlestweets site to claim the assassinated Fab Four member’s star is “missing.”

Naturally, people have been talking about what might have happened. All the conspiracy theorists out there have their own ideas, but the popular theories are:

Speculation seems to be centered on damage to the terrazzo and brass star, which was dedicated on September 30th, 1988, necessitating its full removal from the sidewalk, or its possible removal to prepare the area for the addition of Ringo Starr’s star. Starr is one of 28 celebrities who will be honored in 2010 with a place on the Walk of Fame on February 8th, kicking off the Walk’s 50th anniversary.

Both are quite plausible, aren’t they? After all, why would you leave a damaged star on the Walk? Also, as high profile as that star (and area) is, how possible is it for someone to spend time to chip away the star without anyone else noticing it? I bet we’ll be seeing a replacement soon.

Originally posted on December 23, 2009 @ 4:01 am