Hugh Jackman Undeservedly Gets Handprints At Famous Chinese Theater

The Hollywood walk of fame has become a cheap sideshow that has little to no value anymore since they give just about anyone and everyone who’s ever had more than 3 minutes of fame. For my money, the much more prestigious honor is having your hand and foot prints in cement at the world famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood. It really is hall of legends. And now it appears Hugh Jackman is being added to the honor list.

Twentieth Century Fox is extending a special invitation to Jackman’s legions of fans – as well as to the community of X-Men and Wolverine comics readers and movie enthusiasts – to “witness the origins” of this special event at 10:00 a.m.

Look, everyone knows that I’m a Hugh Jackman fan. I’ve mentioned that several times… but there is NO WAY IN HELL, as much as I love the guy, that Hugh Jackman’s career (at this point) deserves to be given this honor. NO WAY.

There is also NO WAY IN HELL you’ll ever convince me that this “honor” wasn’t bought and paid for by the studio considering it’s being done just as Wolverine is about to released. This is a purchased marketing plan and I hate it. To me, this completely devalues the entire walk at the Chinese Theater. Why not just put up a “THIS SPOT FOR PURCHASE” on some empty space in front of the theater… cause that’s all it is now. Sad… very very sad.

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69 thoughts on “Hugh Jackman Undeservedly Gets Handprints At Famous Chinese Theater

  1. No matter what you people say, he got his handprints there! And you know what? HE DESERVES IT. Maybe in film his only big success is Wolverine but he is one of the best Oscar Hosts EVER and an amazingly talented stage actor. He has done everything: Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Royal National Theatre… An actor with SUCH talents will definetely NEVER get forgotten even when the X-men franchise eventually stops after X-men Origins. This fabulous actor is destined to flourish when he at last abandons Wolverine… (have you seen The Fountain or The Prestige?…)

    1. Agree with Chris. I’m not a huge fan of mr Jackman but I can’t deny he’s a real triple threat. He is a good actor, a fine singer and a shockingly able dancer! He was blow-minding in this year’s Oscars! I also searched at youtube that Boy from Oz thing, and found out the guy is a genuine musical actor. So yeah, I agree, we won’t forget of him very soon, when this Wolverine films end. And sure I’m OK with his Grauman’s Chinese Theatre honor.

  2. HE SUCCESSFULLY HOSTED THE OSCARS

    HE IS A HUGE BROADWAY STAR (the Boy from oz did more than $60 million at the box office)

    HE IS A WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS TONY AWARD

    HE IS AN EMMY AWARD WINNER

    HE IS A CINEMA IDOL THANKS TO HIS AMAZING WOLVERINE

    HE’S PAID $20 MILLION PER MOVIE

    HE IS UNDENIABLY A SUPERSTAR (I at least don’t know anyone that doesn’t know who HUGH JACKMAN is)

    HELL YES!!!!!!!!!! HE ABSOLUTELY DESERVES THIS HONOR!!! WAY TO GO, HUGH JACKMAN!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. i completely agree! finally (in this long line of comments) somebody feels the same as i do (and my friends =) ) and seriously, who even said that hugh jackman got his handprints in by “buying the slab of cement” as it has been put.

  3. I’m fairly certain he was honored with this waaaay before Wolverine’s release and he’s just getting the star and handprints and all that done now. They mentioned him being awarded a star on the Walk of Fame months ago – maybe even last year.

  4. Jackman was supposed to get his hand and foot printing ceremony back in November 2008. While he was promoting “australia”, and before “wolverine” was even done filming. But that didn’t come to fruition due to scheduling conflict. So it’s not like this comes out of the blue.
    I imagine fox arranged to do it before the premier of the film. But they didn’t “buy” it.
    It was also announced over a year ago that he’ll receive a star on the hollywood walk of fame, btw. So don’t be surprised if that happens this year as well.
    http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24632165-662,00.html

  5. Call it apathy, I do, but I have been to Hollywood and they are just stars in the pavement. You live, you die, these stars do not change that, so who cares? Now, if he was getting his name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or something similar, then I would have an issue. This is just another famous person, among many other famous people, to get a star immortalized on the pavement of a sidewalk. Is it a publicity stunt or is this just the movie that finally says that he has been in enough to be considered for a star? Who knows, and it really does not matter. It’s not going to cause tare in space that swallows all matter and time itself, nor is it going to bring world peace. If it is a publicity stunt/paid for by the studio, I highly doubt it would the first time for such a thing to happen.

    Again, it’s probably just me being apathetic.

  6. I completely agree with John.

    I will agree that Hugh doesn’t deserve to be there, but sadly the Hollywood walk of fame and the Chinese theater lost all credibility they once had. Like John said, any smuck can get their name down there. It’s sad to see :(

    So how much can we pay John to get our foot prints there? :)

  7. James, nice list–puts things in perspective.

    I don’t really see why this is such a big deal. I think Jackman deserves the spot just as much as others there, and having it coincide with the release of Wolverine makes sense–right now, the average joe immediately knows who Jackman is, and it might boost sales too. Waiting a little while and the average joe forgets Jackman and only the movie fans care.

    Good for Fox, good for Jackman, good for me. Congratulations Hugh.

  8. Frankly I am not sure how I feel about all this. There is a part of me that does not agree with it, and feels that ‘setting their names in stone’ is a bit too much considering that these people are only actors. Having said that, there is also a part of me that realises that by putting these names there we make sure we never forget the true revolutionaries of cinema. Then finally there is a third part of me that views this as just another tourist attraction and part of the facade that is Hollywood.

    As to wether I agree Mr. Jackman deserved a spot. I think that at the rate he was going, he was eventually going to get one, so I thik it is ok that he got it done now – you get a much better print with a young hand as appose to an old one.

  9. I don’t have a problem with this at all. Hollywood is entertainment, so why should we expect anything else? Several comments here have shown this has been happening at Mann’s for quite some time. Given that we don’t know the inner workings, this is all just presumptuous at best. Frankly, I think saying it hurts the industry and shames the history is really going overboard. Maybe it hurts us movie nerds who surf movie blogs frequently, but the Average Joe just doesn’t give a shit. And the rest, who have their eyes glued to US Magazine, think it’s fine and dandy.

    Appreciate the sentiments, John, but I’m just not sure how big of a deal this really is.

  10. Of course, none of what I said in my previous comment should be taken for disagreement with the principle that you’re expressing, John. The walk of fame, the Chinese theater… I used to think that these meant something to the film industry. Something more than a billboard or a commercial. Seeing people like Zac Efron (who I have nothing against) get to place their hand prints in front of the theater is virtually the same as giving him a lifetime achievement award (some of which have also become a bit devalued). And it begs the question, what’s the point?

    The answer, I think, hurts the industry and shames its history.

    1. what has fox done for you lately?

      The only thing I can think of in the last two-three years was The Devil wears Prada, and even in that case they were only the distributor. And that certainly was no die hard or “star wars”

      I wont even get into their journalistic integrity.

    2. so your gonna hate on them b/c they have made some bad films, hell every studio makes bad films so we should just go ahead and hate on WB and Sony and every studio b/c they have released some terrible films lately.

  11. I got saw Handprint in advance! Is anyone going to rat me out to the FBI?
    >><
    It seems now a days when a huge movie is about to come out, the stars get a hand print. Just like radio or rock clubs, you pay to play. i guess movie companies pay for this.

  12. Getting a little worked up over something that has no value anymore, John. Both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mann’s Chinese Theatre are draws to promote the industry in the town that thrives off popularity. I mean, I heard it only takes $25 000 to get made “eternal” (the Star or the cement block). Big woopie! These people don’t care about the long term recognition awards. They care about the here and now. The celebrity standard has changed from having to make it big in the business, to making it just because you look good.

    1. Hey Godfather,

      There is a difference between the walk of fame and the Mann’s Chinese theater. The Walk sold out ages ago (as I already mentioned in my post if you read it). To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time the Chinese has outright sold a concrete slab, marking the end of an era. I’m disappointed if you don’t see that as something worth getting a little worked up over as a film fan.

  13. Funny that, everybody is going on saying he doesn’t deserve this honour, at least not at this point in his career.

    Eddie Murphy placed his Handprints in May 1987 after having only 3 commercially successful movies (Trading Places, Beverley Hills Cop, 48 Hours) ohhh and The Golden Child. (Pfffft) ….

    When he placed his Handprints in May … He coincidently had Beverley Hills Cop 2 coming out in 3 weeks time in June … Was that place also bought?

    Funny, when John Travolta placed his hands in 1980, he had only really done Grease & Staying Alive … Oh Sorry, he was also Vinnie Barbarino. Deserved at that point in his career?

    So again? Why the uproar?

    1. The fact is that this has been going on for a very long time. It took me about 15 minutes to compile the following list, just picking names I recognized from the list of hand prints on the wikipedia entry.

      1. The Harry Potter kids put their hands in wet cement on July 9, 2007. Order of the Phoenix was released 2 days later.

      2. Anthony Hopkins got his on Jan 11, 2001. Hannibal was released on Feb 9th.

      3. Bruce Willis: May 18, 1995. Die Hard with a Vengeance: May 19.

      4. Mel Gibson got his on August 23, 1993. The Man Without a Face was released on Aug 25.

      Those are all relatively recent, though, let’s go back a little farther and see what we find:

      5. Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and George Stevens: September 26, 1956. It’s a little bit more time (2 months), but that combination and date could only have been in anticipation of the release of Giant on November 24.

      6. Cary Grant: July 16, 1951. People Will Talk: August 29.

      7. Humphrey Bogart: August 21, 1946. The Big Sleep: August 31.

      In short, I don’t think using the cement in front of the Chinese Theater for marketing is anything new. And considering that Hugh Jackman is a legitimate star of both stage and screen, I have a lot less objection to him joining this group than many of those who are already there.

    2. A valid source? This isn’t a thesis or a dissertation. Wikipedia is more than valid enough for our purposes here in the comment section of a blog post.

      If you’d like to point out a specific error (and list a more reputable contradicting source) then that’s all well and good. Otherwise, your comment is neither helpful nor relevant.

    3. your using information from an unreliable source, it doesnt matter if this is a blog, you are trying to prove a point using info from a site that anybody can post on and all that could have been bullshit and made up

    4. @ MATT K

      Ceremony July 9, 2007
      Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint
      Release Date: 11 July 2007 (USA)

      Ceremony #181, January 11, 2001
      Sir Anthony Hopkins
      Release Date: 9 February 2001

      Ceremony #162, May 18, 1995
      Bruce Willis
      Release Date: 19 May 1995 (USA)

      Ceremony #158, August 23, 1993
      Mel Gibson
      Release Date: 25 August 1993

      Ceremony #113, September 26, 1956
      Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and George Stevens
      Release Date: 24 November 1956

      Ceremony #94, July 16, 1951
      Cary Grant
      Release Date: 29 August 1951

      Ceremony #77, August 21, 1946
      Humphrey Bogart
      Release Date: 31 August 1946

      all names/dates via http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/ceremonies.php
      all release dates via imdb.com

      Better sources?

      REALLY bored at work!

    5. mikey,

      you actually used a reliable source unlike james did, ill admit he was right and so were you, however you cant prove a point using wikipedia no matter whether its a blog or whatever its not a reliable source

    6. I agree with you on the murphy/travolta comment. It bothers me more that Efron is up there than Jackman getting it. Besides, I think the prestige is one of the best movies I’ve seen in years. Granted the guys has some gimmick-type roles under his belt but that’s due to his xmen fame. Once this franchise is done, his capabilities as an actor I think will really flourish.

  14. Even as a big Hugh Jackman fan, I find this to be absurd. That handprint space is supposed to be reserved for BIG TIME people. I was offended when they had the Harry Potter kids putting their prints (and wands) in that space. That’s not for flash in the pan pop culture figures. Not saying Hugh is a flash in the pan, but this is utter bullshit.

    The Walk of Fame has been fucked for a LONG time (all you have to do is pay $10,000, fill ot paperwork, and have a sponsor, and BOOM you’re in), but the damn Chinese Theater is supposed to be hallowed ground. What is this fuckery?

  15. Do we actually know that this was bought and paid for? Isn’t it equally as likely that they were gonna do it anyway and just decided to bump it up to capitalize on the Wolverine marketing?

  16. Did you take a look at the list of people who have their prints there?

    Illustrious notables such as:

    Whoopi Goldberg
    Eddie Murphy
    Shirley Temple
    Sylvester Stallone

    and of course the immortal

    Steven Seagal

    Are you suggesting that Hugh Jackman is somehow unfit to be in the same company as Steven Seagal?

    1. Well I dont know how Segal got there, but Jackman would have got there sooner or later. I think the timing is just too suspicious. I mean the only reason he has a career is cause he got the role of a popular comic character. I think he a great actor but he needs a role that is all his that he made popular not the reverse.

    2. i’m not quite sure that wolveirne made hugh jackman popular and not the other way around. i mean maybe that’s a little true, but could any of the others who were in line or before jackman in the casting done a better job. i mean, the first movie could have still reeled in as much money as it did, but if wolverine sucked and totally trashed the movie, would people have gone to see the second movie? and the third? and x-men origins? and there are a select few who don’t find wolverine the best of the x-men. for those, wolveirne didn’t make hugh jackman popular; some other character made the star big (but yeah, hugh jackman is more well known for his acting as wolverine than the others for their character)

  17. I understand Johns point in that it is a blatant promotion for Wolverine, but it just doesn’t really bug me like it bugs you, John.

    When you see who else has a star on there, I think that alone is enough to justify the star of X-men and the Acadamy Awards host the honour.

    Would you be as pissed off if he recieved the honour a week after Wolverine had finished in Theaters? Maybe he was scheduled to have it then but due to Wolverine coming out, they said “Hey, here’s an idea, lets shift his star presentation forward a month or two, so it clashes with the movie, that we can get more publicity for the theater and more interest in Wolverine because of Jackman.”

    It’s a Win/Win. No doubt he was going to have his star there eventually, what Oscar host hasn’t!? Makes more sense to do it when there is a movie coming out, rather than doing it when we haven’t seen the guy for 2 years and he has nothing on his schedule, and nobody gives a crap.

    I would say I’m definately FOR ol’ Hugh getting his star. They’ve given them for less … And I’m almost positive that this is not the first time this cross promotion has happened. Why the stink now, John?

    1. Hey KoKo,

      He isn’t getting a “star”. This isn’t the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Anyone and everyone gets a star on the walk of fame. They hand them out like Halloween candy. I could literally get one if I wanted to.

      And no, I wouldn’t have minded it if it were done AFTER wolverine came out. But this was BOUGHT and PAID for. Plain and simple, and that’s the part that bothers me.

    1. Hey Orian,

      IMO There is a difference between making a mistake about putting on a guy they project will be a big major star… and blatantly selling a spot to promote a new movie coming out.

    2. Ahhh Im pretty sure Zac Efron had a High School Musical coming out at the time of his star recognition … Why doesn’t this cross promotion bug you, John?

  18. As much as it sickens me to say this: business is business. FOX did this because they’re afraid that the leak might affect the Wolverine movie box office gross. The Hollywood Walk of Fame used to mean something. It used to be reserved for actors/actresses who have shown longevity in their career as well as having commercial or critical success. Now that I think about it, has Hugh Jackman been in anything successful besides the X-Men movies? If the answer is no, then he has a long way to go. Hugh Jackman is a cool guy, but I’m afraid he’ll get typecast as Wolverine.

    1. I’ve never heard ‘liked’ and ‘van helsing’ in the same sentence like that before.

      But Prestige was okay, sure.

      Enough to get him the famous handprints though?

    2. The Prestige was amazing! Other than the first two X-Men films he has been in trash. Imagine if Dougray Scott was able to play the role of Wolverine! Who knows if the character would of been as popular.

    3. I can think of quite a few he was good in.

      Van Helsing
      Swordfish
      The Prestige
      X-men (I think he was better in 2 and 3)
      that is just to name a few.

      as for the handprints? I am happy he has them, but I too can see the point of the above message.

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