Daniel Dae Kim won’t rest until James Hong has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and it looks like they could be on the way to achieving that.
Kim met his goal in four days of raising $55,000 to pay for the “creation and installation of the star.” He had launched a GoFundMe page on Wednesday and received help from more than 1,700 donors from nearly all 50 states, according to a GoFundMe representative.
“We all know what an important part of Hollywood lore the Walk of Fame has been over the years,” Kim wrote on the fundraising page. “Tourists from around the world flock to these star-studded blocks stretching across Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. If you’re reading this you probably agree that James deserves to be among them.”
Hong is one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood history, with 672 credits — 469 TV shows, 149 feature films, 32 short films and 22 video games. He voiced Po’s father, Mr. Ping, in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise, and starred in several notable films, including “Blade Runner,” “Big Trouble in Little China” and “Chinatown.”
Kim highlighted the significance of Hong’s career to other actors of color. The “Hawaii Five‑0” alum wrote that his predecessor opened several doors, especially for younger Asian American artists.
“This man epitomizes the term ‘working actor,’ and that’s not even taking into account all he’s done to help further representation for actors of color,” Kim wrote. “Not only was he one of the few who worked steadily when there were even fewer roles than there are now, but he also served the Asian American community by co-creating the legendary East West Players theater company with fellow pioneers like Mako and Nobu McCarthy, just to name a few.”
Kim added, “One of the most crucial steps is to raise $50,000 to pay for the ‘creation and installation of the star, as well as general maintenance of the Walk of Fame,’ according to the website. An additional $5000 is to cover estimated GoFundMe service charges.”
Now, Kim plans on submitting Hong’s application in the spring of 2021 and is encouraging people to continue backing the campaign. “Though we’ve now got the money for the fees, keep tweeting your support & I’ll submit them as supporting materials for his application. We will make this happen together!” tweeted Kim.
The Walk of Fame selection committee will meet in June to select an average of 30 stars, from 200 submissions, to be cemented the following year. If Hong’s nomination is rejected for the Class of 2022, his name can be resubmitted the following year.
Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez told Kim via Twitter to apply by May 29.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame doesn’t accept petitions or endorse GoFundMe campaigns.
“We are happy to consider Mr. Hong if he agrees on the nomination in writing,” Martinez told Variety. “We don’t endorse GoFundMe petitions because what happens with the funds if the person is not selected? They should have a back-up plan in case that happens. Otherwise, there will be many angry donors wondering where the money they sent will go to. The Walk of Fame stars are sponsored by the nominators and the stars cannot be purchased, which is what the group may be thinking by setting up this petition.”
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