This veteran actor shares shocked reaction to Hollywood Walk of Fame star announcement
- - - This veteran actor shares shocked reaction to Hollywood Walk of Fame star announcement
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY July 3, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Keith David will receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star next year – much to his own surprise.
The actor, 69, boasts a prolific career in the movie industry, with nearly 50 years of experience and some 400 film and television credits. With a deep baritone voice and stately stage presence, David has become a casting coach favorite for both lead and supporting roles, lending his narration to "The Princess and the Frog" and acting in "Armageddon."
The announcement nevertheless came as a surprise to him, per a video posted to social media. In it, the "Greenleaf" star is seen watching as the names for next year's Walk of Fame stars are listed out. When they arrive at his name, his jaw drops and he looks around in surprise before clapping his hand to his mouth.
Keith David speaks on the day of filmmaker John Carpenter's star unveiling ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on April 3, 2025.
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Cheers can be heard in the background, and his wife says tearfully, "Happy 70th Birthday."
"Oh my God," David replies, clearly emotional, before his wife ventures into the frame for an embrace. He wipes away tears before thanking his spouse again, who seemingly nominated him for the honor. To receive a star on the storied Los Angeles promenade, an actor must be nominated by an individual and agree to appear at the ceremony.
What a surprise! Being blessed to get to do this for a living is enough for me; to be recognized for my contribution to the arts is the cherry on top.🙏🏿Thank you, Hollywood Walk of Fame & Hollywood Chamber for this honor. This will be a wonderful birthday present next year. pic.twitter.com/dnSmObJezT
— Keith David (@ImKeithDavid) July 2, 2025
Selections are made by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee and voted on by the Hollywood Chamber's Board of Directors, and are most often awarded to those stars who have both high achievement and longevity in Hollywood.
"What a surprise! Being blessed to get to do this for a living is enough for me; to be recognized for my contribution to the arts is the cherry on top," David wrote alongside the video posted to X.
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"Thank you, Hollywood Walk of Fame & Hollywood Chamber for this honor. This will be a wonderful birthday present next year," he added.
Other stars set to be honored next year include French actress Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Demi Moore, Franco Nero and Molly Ringwald, among others.
Keith David movies and TV shows
Most recently, David starred in "American Fiction." He also starred in "The Thing," "Platoon," and "Men at Work" and the 1980s and '90s, as well as "Barbershop," "Head of State," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "21 Bridges" throughout the 2000s and beyond.
As much a voice actor as an onscreen presence, David is a favorite of documentarian Ken Burns. He lent his deep voice to an array of Burns projects from 2001's "Jazz" to 2007's "The War" to 2021's "Muhammad Ali."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Keith David gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star in surprise moment
Source: AOL Entertainment
