A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Wednesday honoring Chris Meledandri for producing some of the most successful animated films of all time.
The 67-year-old Meledandri has produced the four “Despicable Me” films and its three “Minions” prequels, including “Minions & Monsters,” set for release July 1, along with the two “The Secret Life of Pets” films, the two “Super Mario Bros.” movies and the Dr. Seuss films “The Lorax” and “The Grinch.”
Meledandri founded the animation studio Illumination in 2007 and continues as its CEO.
“I was 21 when I arrived in Hollywood, and soon after discovered the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” he said. “And these stars, they were like breadcrumbs to me, leading me further towards my fantasy of being part of the motion picture industry. I was on the outside looking in, and I wondered what stories I would tell if I ever got the chance.”
He recalled that the first film he worked on was “horrible,” and the second was a “massive failure.” But he said he was miraculously not fired, but allowed to persevere, and found his success decades later.
“Hardly an overnight success. I was 43 years old,” he said. “The thread that connects all of the films I have made since `Ice Age’ is their aspiration to bring joy to audiences. That is what Illumination does. We manufacture joy.”
Meledandri was joined at the ceremony at 6357 Hollywood Blvd. by Steve Carell and Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment. Carell supplied the voice of the supervillain Gru in the “Despicable Me” and “Minions” films.
Danny DeVito and Lake Bell were also among those attending the ceremony. DeVito supplied the voice of the Lorax and the curmudgeonly, adventure-averse Uncle Dan in the Meledandri-produced “Migration.” Bell was the voice of Chloe, a fat and apathetic gray tabby cat, in the two “The Secret Life of Pets” films.
The star is the 2,848th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.
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