Tim Burton receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

LOS ANGELES - A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tim Burton was unveiled Tuesday, three days before the release of his latest film, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

Cast members Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder joined Burton in speaking at the ceremony in front of Hollywood Toys & Costumes at 6600 Hollywood Blvd. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is the fifth time Burton has directed Keaton and fourth time he has directed Ryder.

Burton said he was particularly appreciative of his star's location outside a store he visited often "since I was a little child." He called it "very emotional for me."

Tim Burton attends his ceremony for a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 03, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

"Thank you so much," he told the cheering crowd as he accepted the honor. "This is very special to me. ... As a child I used to come down here from Burbank on the bus — no adults. In fact, I was young enough to think these things (stars) were actually gravestones when I first came down here."

Ryder hailed Burton for giving voice "outcasts" through his movies, saying he has a "beautiful, unique understanding of the human heart."

"To work with Tim is like being invited to wander through his heart and imagination," Ryder said.

She said giving Burton a Walk of Fame star "is sort of like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the tallest mountain."

Keaton re-told his story about the first time he met with Burton, noting that he left that meeting saying, "I have no idea what he's talking about."

"Five movies later, and over 30 years of knowing him, I still have no idea what he's talking about," Keaton joked.

He added: "Not only do I know what he's talking about, seriously, I feel it on every movie. It's beyond shorthand. ... I feel really, really comfortable working with this guy. It's just a joy."

The star is the 2,788th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.

Burton has written, directed and produced acclaimed films in a variety of genres. He is credited fostering the rise of superhero films with "Batman" and "Batman Returns," which both starred Keaton, and reinvigorating stop-motion animation with "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride."

Burton also created two of cinema's most iconic antiheroes — Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.

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Martinez called Burton "one of cinema's most imaginative and visual filmmakers," with "a unique vision and unparalleled creativity (that) have captivated audiences worldwide."

Born Aug. 25, 1958, in Burbank, where he was raised, Burton made short films in his backyard as a youth, using crude stop motion animation techniques or shooting on 8 mm film without sound. After graduating from Burbank High School, where he played water polo, Burton attended CalArts in Valencia, studying character animation.

A 90-second pencil-drawn animated film he made as a CalArts student in 1979, "Stalk of the Celery Monster," attracted the attention of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, who offered him an animator's apprenticeship.

Burton directed his first professional short in 1982 while at Disney, "Vincent," a 6-minute black-and-white stop motion film based on a poem he wrote and narrated by his hero, Vincent Price.

During his time with Disney, Burton also directed the 1983 kung fu- inspired short film adaptation of "Hansel and Gretel" and the 1984 live- action short film "Frankenweenie," which he remade as a feature-length stop motion film in 2012.

Burton made his feature-film directing debut with "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," a comedy released in 1985. He would next direct "Beetlejuice," released in 1988, and "Batman," released in 1989.

Burton's other film directing credits include "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," which earned him a Golden Globe best director nomination in 2007; "Ed Wood"; "Sleepy Hollow"; "Big Fish"; and "Alice in Wonderland."

Burton shared an Oscar nomination with Mike Johnson in 2006 for best animated feature film for "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," which he directed with Johnson. Burton was also nominated in the category in 2013 for "Frankenweenie," which he directed.

Burton was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2023 for outstanding directing for a comedy series for an episode of "Wednesday," Netflix's supernatural mystery charting Wednesday Addams' (Jenna Ortega) years at Nevermore Academy. Burton is among the show's executive producers.