Tim Burton, Village People, Sir Ben Kingsley and Shakira also set for Walk of Fame

By Gayl Murphy

HOLLYWOOD CA (Hollywood Today 6/19/08) — Hollywood celebrities being stepped on and loving it? According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, not only are they loving it they’re so excited, they’re queuing up for it.

Poised and ready to be walked on are Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Sir Ben Kingsley, Walt Disney’s animated co-host Tinkerbell, Reality TV pioneer Mark Burnett (Apprentice, Survivor) Harry Shearer (Simpsons, Spinal Tap) , Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd, Batman Returns) and The Village People among others, as the Walk of Fame Committee announced their recipients for the 2009 Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“After much deliberation, the Walk of Fame committee has selected 25 of our greatest talents. Fans and tourists from all over the world will enjoy seeing their favorite personalities receive this prestigious honor,” stated Earl Lestz Chairman of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Committee. Lestz adds that the decision this year was particularity challenging because more stars and studios begged to lie down in the street.

“There was a significant increase of applications received this year and so many deserving celebrities. Our committee worked diligently to select those stars which would appeal to the masses.”

Chosen from among thousands of well-known celebrity and superstar nominees to be forever immortalized on the sidewalks of downtown Hollywood, the board met earlier this month and the 25 chosen were given final approval by the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

With each pink terrazzo five-pointed bronze inlaid star to be placed in cement at different locations on the Walk, the inductees for 2009 are divided into four categories, Motion Pictures, Television, Recording and Radio. And the winners are…

MOTION PICTURES: Tinkerbell, Tim Burton, Leslie Caron, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Durning, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Jackman, Sir Ben Kingsley and William H. Macy

TELEVISION: TV show producer Mark Burnett, Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman, Chuck Lorre, CSI’s William Petersen, Closer Kyra Sedgwick, and John Stamos

RECORDING: Kenny Baby Face Edmonds, Dave Koz, R ‘n’ B’s The Miracles, Doug Morris, Canadian rock band RUSH, Shakira and The Village People.

RADIO: Bill Handel and Harry Shearer

Created in 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches 3 1/2 miles (roundtrip) from west on Hollywood Boulevard, Gower Avenue to La Brea Ave. and north to south on Vine St. between Yucca and Sunset Blvd.

The Walk of Fame was designated as a Cultural and Historic Landmark by the City of Los Angeles in 1978. And to be considered for a sidewalk star, one must be thought of as sought after by the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

The design of the inlaid stars include a round bronze emblem indicating the category for which the honoree received the star, however over the years there have been a few design exceptions. The star given to the crew of the Apollo XI space mission was named in four identical moons at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine and former LA Mayor Tom Bradley’s star is the seal of the city of Los Angeles.