From Pat:

Yesterday I was very fortunate to be able to attend the unveiling of Russell's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the middle of the night it started pouring rain and I wondered how the ceremony would fare if it didn't let up. It had stopped raining by the time I got up at 4:45 but it continued to drizzle a bit. I drove past The Kodak Theater, where Russell's star was placed, around 6:30 and saw someone polishing it. There were only a couple of fans standing around, so I figured I still had plenty of time to get back and find a good spot for the ceremony. I drove around Beverly Hills for a while and then to NBC, where there were only a couple of people waiting for tickets to the Tonight Show. Everything was running smoothly so far.

I drove back to the ceremony site. A few more fans and autograph hounds had shown up and there were tents going up over the star area in case of rain. I took a glance at Russell's star and noticed with some irony that it is kitty-corner to Kevin Costner, Robin Hood of the 90s. Nicole Kidman's star is just a few feet away and Anthony Hopkins is right next to Russell. I heard that he requested his star be near Marlon Brando's, which is a mere 10 blocks east of the Kodak Theater. Is that as close as they could get?! 

Fans were trading travel stories and some of them had come from quite a distance like northern California and Phoenix. It seems that no matter where the fans stood, we were in the wrong place and were asked to move aside. Eventually we were told that we should stand at the curb in order to get a good viewing spot, however there were still trucks at the curb delivering tents, stages, chairs and sound equipment. They coned off a portion of the street and we finally stood behind the trucks against railings that used to cordone off the area. When they moved out we all had to move away from the area, so it really didn't matter how early you arrived. It was a free for all. I think we all ended up with a spot at the railing, which was as close as the general public could get to the festivities. They placed a red carpet and decorative cover over the star so it could no longer be seen by the crowd.

Media outlets began to arrive and set up their cameras. I was standing next to a woman from Australia and she was pointing out different Aussie news anchors. She called to one of them and they came over to her. They decided to interview her to get a fan's perspective on the ceremony. Then they asked me a few questions about what I thought of Russell and instead of describing him (based on what I've gathered as a fan since I don't actually know the man!) as a fantastic actor who is passionate about his family, friends and work, generous to a fault, has the courage of his convictions, a feeling poet, a guy with a great band (and Rugby team - up the Bunnies!) and someone who seems like he enjoys life, I rattled off something stupid about him being a great actor, a good guy and the press hasn't given him a fair shake. I surely hope my portion was never aired!

One of the first celebrity guests to show up was Sam Worthington in t-shirt and jeans. He attempted to cross the barricade and was quickly stopped by security, who thought he was just an overzealous fan. He informed them that he was on the guest list and eventually, after some prodding, they let him cross. Soon we spotted Jay Leno, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Jeffrey Katzenberger among the crowd. We thought we saw Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan but soon realized they were only look-alikes. A huge crowd of passers-by had gathered along the walk before Russell's car finally pulled up. We could see the family heading over to the tents and the fans nearest me were all commenting on how nice Russell looked, opting for a long blazer in place of the usual Souths hoodie. He stopped to greet his friends including Jay and Ron and behind him we could see the Merry Men, Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle and Scott Grimes, approaching the stage area in their South Sydney jackets. There were also a number of fans present wearing Souths jerseys. I was wearing my Rabbitohs t-shirt in support of the team, but the bunny is pink so it's not easily recongnizable.

The Merry Men sat in the chairs in the area just next to where I was standing. They had been set up for the family, so when Danielle, Charlie and Tennyson made it to the viewing area there were no seats left. Danielle laughed as she realized that their spots had been taken, but the guys jumped up as soon as they realized their error. I noticed Tenny was holding tight to the stuffed puppy that we've seen in so many pics of the family. Before things got started, Jay Leno, Ron Howard, Sam Worthington and Kevin Durand all came over to us and signed photos and posters people had brought.

Leon Gubler, president of Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, began the ceremony with a huge list of Russell's accomplishments in film. Even then he didn't touch on half of what he's done. He then declared it Russell Crowe Day in Hollywood and Jay Leno took the mic. He talked about Russell's star power in getting the rain to stop and that Russell was one of the greatest actors in the world . Brian Grazer said a few words about how wonderful it was working with Russell in four films and that he was very impressed with his work as producer on Robin Hood. Ron Howard described Russell as a force of nature and was surprised that he didn't already have his star. Russell then gave his acceptance speech and I think came across as feeling very privileged to be a part of the film industry, working at something he loves. He was especially grateful that his family was there to share the experience with him. The star was unveiled and Russell posed a bit for the cameras, then quickly presented his beautiful family for more pictures. He's wonderful to watch with his kids, giving them little hugs and loves all the while. The Merry Men came next and Russell made some final adjustments to their Souths gear before taking a few publicity shots. He was then ushered from one interview to another but I think felt for the fans who were crying out that they had come a long way and had been there for hours. He came over to us and signed a few autographs and shook some hands before heading to the car with his family. He rolled down the window to wave to us as they drove away.

I ate lunch, then took a couple more star photos before heading to NBC. There is no public parking at the studio so I had to park about a half mile away. By the time I got to the line for the Tonight Show, there were already more than a hundred people there. I think quite a few of us made a day of it in Hollywood. It started raining while we were waiting and I was not far up enough in line to sit under the patio, so I got nice and soaked before we were let into the theater. It was nice to see the show in person, so it was worth it.  Afterward, people were milling around the parking lot waiting for Russell to emerge. It would be nice to get a picture with him and be able to tell him how much I appreciate his movies and music, but I didn't want to accost him when I'm sure all he wanted was to get back to his family and friends for the evening. It was a great day and I was glad to see Russell get a bit of the recognition he deserves.