The significance of the moment was not lost on Kevin Costner when he placed his handprints in the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard. After following in the footsteps of many of his silver screen heroes by leaving his imprint in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Tinseltown heavyweight said it was nothing less than a dream come true.
"I feel so lucky today, I feel so guilty," confessed the 51-year-old. "I've been able to live my dream. I've been able to stare down the bully, kiss the girl, and save the day. The staple of all Hollywood movies, the fantasy of every man."
Appropriately enough, the movie veteran was accompanied by his own leading lady, Christine Baumgartner, to the ceremony. And young pretender Ashton Kutcher, with whom he stars in his latest flick The Guardian, was also on hand to congratulate him.
The renowned performer, who picked up two Oscars for his 1990 epic Dances With Wolves, was eager to show his gratitude to all those people, from writers and directors to regular movie fans, who helped him along the way. He also offered a special thanks to the "stuntmen who've taken risks to make me look stronger or jump farther than I ever could".