Why Leonardo DiCaprio May Always Be Missing From The Hollywood Walk Of Fame
Created on February 8, 1960, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has become a must-see tourist attraction for every fan of film, television, and the like. Over its 60 plus years in existence, a who's who of the biggest names in pop culture have secured their place on this iconic sidewalk — including Mark Hamill, Guy Fieri, and Mickey Mouse. Of course, that's not to say that it isn't missing some very notable individuals, such as Clint Eastwood, Julia Roberts, and Robert De Niro, to name a few.
Oddly enough, despite his megastar status, even Leonardo DiCaprio falls into the latter category. Kicking off his career in the early 1990s, DiCaprio quickly asserted himself as a rising star to watch in the coming years. His standout performances in productions like What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Titanic, and Gangs of New York made him a fan-favorite and opened doors for him all over the film industry. As a result, he has maintained a steady flow of solid work well into the present day, proving his talents further with The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and other recent projects.
With a résumé like that, one would imagine he's a shoe-in for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, it turns out that there is much more to such an honor than winning countless awards or becoming a face of cinema, hence Leonardo DiCaprio's likely permanent absence.
DiCaprio may not want to jump through all of the hoops to get his star
Make no mistake about it, getting your name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a major career milestone that surely means a lot to those who go ahead with it. However, there's much more to joining this symbolic sidewalk than the general public knows. In February of 2017, Today published a highly informative article explaining why rejection for a Walk of Fame star is so common, detailing the various hurdles one must jump to get there. Considering their findings, it's not so shocking that Leonardo DiCaprio is still missing from Hollywood Boulevard.
The Today report explains that for the process to begin, DiCaprio first must secure a nomination from a third party. Fans, family members, or friends can do so, so long as he consents to their proposal. From there, he has to provide the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce with a completed application, listing his personal achievements, community outreach efforts, awards, etc. Should they accept it, he'd have to then guarantee his appearance at the public unveiling ceremony ... but the process doesn't end there. DiCaprio, or those who nominated him, would then need to shell out $40,000 for construction and maintenance of the star.
Even though Leonardo DiCaprio could easily cover the cost, has more than enough accolades to fill out the application, and can surely carve out some time to attend the event, does he really want to? As of right now, it appears not, and it's hard to blame him. Unless his mind changes, the Hollywood Walk of Fame will remain devoid of one of the finest actors of this generation.