Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony

November 16, 1999

On November 16, 1999, the day before the premiere of SLEEPY HOLLOW, Johnny Depp received his own star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. “He deserves it—he’s a great actor—and now we can just walk all over him,” joked his director and friend Tim Burton. Johnny came to the ceremony with Vanessa Paradis, in their first U. S. public appearance together (their daughter Lily-Rose was then just six months old); his proud parents and siblings were also by his side.

Martin Landau, who won an Oscar playing Bela Lugosi opposite Johnny’s Ed Wood, praised his co-star as “the best young actor I’ve ever worked with . . . . Half of that Oscar belongs to Johnny,” Landau told the cheering crowd. “It’s a joy to work with Johnny. [. . . He’s] one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met in my life.” Landau added, prophetically, “You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of his work—there’s a lot more to come.”

To mark the importance of the occasion, Johnny gave one of the longest public speeches of his life. Wearing a navy peacoat and a striped wool hat, he stepped up to the microphone and said: “This is quite possibly one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me . . . and at the same time, it’s certainly a great honor to be awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard. Yes, it allows people to walk all over me,” he said, grinning at Tim Burton, “that’s been happening for years, anyway—but also, it’s a beautiful old Hollywood tradition. And I’m really thankful that it’s still alive, and I’m honored to be a part of that.”

Looking at his family, Johnny said, “Most important, it’s great for me because my mom is here, and my father is here, and my brother and my sisters, and my girl Vanessa and her family and all my friends . . . and even beyond that, you know, in 50 or 60 years, if there’s a world and if there is a Hollywood Boulevard, my kid—my girl—my Lily-Rose—can walk down the street and look at her dad’s name . . . and spit on it, if she likes,” Johnny added, laughing. “That’s up to her.”

The Zone thanks Sleepy, Bonnie, AnaMaria, Theresa, and Part-Time Poet for their contributions to this gallery, and we thank, always, Johnny Depp for providing our reason to celebrate. If you’d like to visit Johnny’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you will find it at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard.

--Part-Time Poet


           

           

           

           

           

           

           

           

           

           


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