Steven Spielberg has been chosen to receive the first star of 2003 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Monday.
The star honoring the director of "Jaws," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" will be dedicated Friday outside the Kodak Theater, the home of the Academy Awards telecast, according to Walk of Fame chairman Johnny Grant.
This is the first time Spielberg has made himself available for a star, Grant added.
"We're just pleased that we finally got him," Grant said. "He could have been approved 20 years ago."
Spielberg has collected three Oscars, two for directing and producing best-picture winner "Schindler's List" and a third for directing "Saving Private Ryan."
His recent films included the futuristic crime drama "Minority Report" and the breezy con-artist comedy "Catch Me If You Can."
------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.