A huge crowd gathered today in front of The El Capitan Theater on Hollywood Blvd. They were there to celebrate the 2,436th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honor went to Academy Award-winning actress Penelope Cruz. Usually these events coincide with a large premiere, which is again the case since her upcoming film, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” will be released on May 20th.
Started in 1960, Hollywood just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Walk of Fame. With over 200 nominees per year, the field is whittled down to approximately 25 ceremonies. If you’re chosen in one of the five fields, (Music, Film, Television, Live Theater or Radio) you must attend the ceremony and the cost is $30,000. Usually this amount is paid for by a fan club or studio. Only one individual has a star in all categories. Hint: He was known as the Singing Cowboy and wrote the song, “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Also, he once owned the California Angels baseball team.