Being awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a big honor which means that there are frequently some strong opinions about who does and does not deserve it. That includes Star Wars legend Mark Hamill who recently suggested on social media that Donald Trump’s star should be removed from the Hollywood Walk of Fame and replaced with one for someone else: Carrie Fisher. He doubled down on that suggestion on Wednesday, retweeting a news item from last summer in which the West Hollywood City Council voted to urge those in charge to remove Trump’s star, again suggesting Fisher as a replacement. While it seems like something that Fisher herself would enjoy, it’s not something that’s going to happen, and there are a couple of reasons why — one of them being that Fisher isn’t even eligible just yet.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As it happens, the Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which operates not in West Hollywood but in Los Angeles itself and, according to chamber spokeswoman Ana Martinez, there are no plans to remove Trump’s star — or anyone’s for that matter.
“We don’t remove stars,” Martinez told the Los Angeles Times. “The stars are part of the history of the Walk of Fame.”
That non-removal policy appears to stand even in the face of vandalism. Trump’s star, which he received in 2007 for his work as a producer on the beauty pageants that he owned, has been vandalized frequently, including being bashed with a sledgehammer in 2016 and completely destroyed by pickax in 2018. However, even if no removal policy existed, Fisher still wouldn’t even be eligible for a star to take its place — at least not yet. Enough time hasn’t passed since her death for her to receive the honor. Fisher won’t be eligible to receive her star until 2021.
“We would love for Carrie Fisher to have a star, but the application has to be submitted on the fifth anniversary of her death,” Martinez explained, before getting into a bit more about the rules about having the honoree sign off on the honor.
“Also, how do we know that Carrie Fisher wanted one?” Martinez asked. “We don’t know if she ever was interested. She was never submitted for a star. We have to have something in writing from the person –they have to sign off. [In this case,] her family would have to do that. We’ll gladly take the application on the fifth anniversary.”
In addition to the application and written agreement, there are also costs involved in receiving a star. Martinez explained that Fisher’s family or estate would have to pay $50,000 to cover the expenses involved with the making and installation of the star as well as maintenance and a replica plaque for the honoree.
Of course, while Fisher may not be eligible yet, it’s probably pretty likely that the beloved actor will get her honor when the timing is right, and fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see her shine herself on the big screen one more time in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Fisher’s Leia will be featured in the upcoming film using unreleased footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, according to director J.J. Abrams.
Are you surprised by the restrictions around getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Let us know in the comments below.
