Why You Won't See Leonardo DiCaprio On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Leonardo DiCaprio has been one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood for decades. That is not only proven with his dozens of successful movies like Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, and the iconic Titanic, but with his collection of prestigious awards like his 2016 Academy Award for Best Actor (The Revenant) and his 2005 and 2016 Golden Globes for Best Actor (The Aviator, The Revenant). 

With a decades-spanning career in which he's been labeled everything from a "'90s heartthrob" and a "Hollywood hunk" to Hollywood's "most eligible bachelor," one would think DiCaprio has been honored with all the possible awards in Tinseltown. However, he is missing one, and he might be forever. 

When you think of Hollywood, a few things might come to mind, like the Hollywood sign or a young socialite racing down Rodeo Drive in the convertible her dad just bought her. Another sight that might pop into vision is 18 blocks of pink stars cemented into the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard displaying the names of the entertainment industry's most famous folks. Or, so we thought. It turns out DiCaprio and many other A-list celebrities are missing from the infamous sidewalk. Keep reading to learn why you won't see DiCaprio on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Leonardo DiCaprio undoubtedly has the accolades to warrant a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A fan even started a petition to secure him a spot on the popular tourist destination. "It's shocking to me (and many people) that he has not been awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after decades of memorable after memorable performances," the passionate fan wrote.

However, it turns out that one doesn't have to just be super famous to be nominated for a star on the Walk of Fame, but also needs to be willing to finish a long and expensive process. Today reported in 2017 that the nomination process for a star on the infamous street is more complicated than being crowned the Best Actor or Best Actress by The Academy. Once the nomination process is started, which includes being submitted by a third party and the nominee signing a consent letter, the nominee then has to promise to show up to the award ceremony. If awarded a star, nominating party has to pay for the creation and maintenance of it, which is $50,000.

Beyond that significant hurdle — not that we're saying DiCaprio stans aren't willing to pony up that kind of cash to honor the Romeo to Claire Danes' Juliet — there could be more philosophical reasons why you'll never point and say, "Hey, the guy from 'Titanic'!" during your stride down Hollywood Boulevard. 

It's possible that some celebrities simply don't feel the need to have their names stepped on by 10 million visitors every year. Highly respected director Clint Eastwood fits into that category. According to Ana Martinez, a producer for the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Eastwood has been nominated several times but never expressed interest in it. "There's one spot left in front of the Chinese Theater if he wants it," she told Today in 2017.

Meanwhile, other members of Hollywood's elite could have seen their names on the Walk of Fame, but tragically died before the honor ever came to fruition. Fans have noticed that both Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher and pop legend Prince don't have stars, a fact that will be rectified for the former since she was was posthumously inducted into the 2022 class of honorees. As for the "Purple Rain" singer, he turned down a nomination after his hit "1999" debuted in 1982. "He just wasn't ready," Martinez said. However, since he died in 2016, and the posthumous waiting period is only two years, he is still eligible, should his family and/or fans nominate him. 

In the meantime, fans have dedicated blank stars to both celebrities, spray painting Prince's name in green on one star and gluing fake letters for Fisher on another. These aren't the only stars that have gotten a special touch from the public, though. One star, in particular, draws so much attention that it had to be barricaded.

Donald Trump first received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his hand in producing televised beauty pageants, according to Variety. Now, he's in the spotlight for being the 45th President of the United States, a position that has received both impassioned support from fans and fierce disapproval from critics. Consequently, Trump's star has been vandalized multiple times and has racked up thousands of dollars in repair bills, per TMZ. As of December 2020, the star was covered with a wood board and blocked with metal barricades. 

Trump's star got voted to be removed unanimously in 2018 by the West Hollywood City Council, but the council can't actually remove the star, as the Walk of Fame is overseen by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, per The Guardian. "Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame," the chamber's former president Leon Gubler told the publication at the time. Other stars that have been damaged in protest include those honoring Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, and Brett Rattner. As of this writing, they still remain on the Walk of Fame.