What do New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys have in common? Besides all of the really obvious similarities, the on-again, boys-to-men bands are two of the pop-culture fixtures in line to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. And those guys-10 of ‘em all together-are just the tip of the iceberg. Also in the recording category are Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jane’s Addiction, Latin star Thalía and posthumous inductees Janice Joplin and Luther Vandross. Helen Mirren, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Viola Davis and makeup artist Rick Baker will get stars in honour of their big-screen careers, while small-screen recognition is going to Ellen DeGeneres, Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch, Katey Segal, Simon Baker and Matthew Perry. Comedian Steve Harvey and AM talk legend “Shotgun” Tom Kelly will get stars for radio and, last but not least, Olympia Dukakis and enduring comedic-magician duo Penn and Teller are being honoured in the Live Theatre/Live Performance category. Dukakis has also won an Oscar and a Golden Globe and been nominated for multiple Emmys, but it’s her more recent, Obie-winning stage work that will cement her legacy on Hollywood Boulevard.
