Wave Wire Services
HOLLYWOOD — A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Feb. 13 honoring writer-director-producer Jon Favreau, three weeks before the third season premiere of the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” he produces.
Favreau told the crowd at the late-morning ceremony that he was honored “to be part of this fabric” of Hollywood storytellers.
“For those of you who are out here walking and trotting across our names, which in other places would be a dishonor but here its the highest honor to be part of the sidewalk, to be part of what supports the next generation of storyteller,” he said. “And the people who bring production here, the people who innovate new technologies and keep the traditions of storytelling alive are the ones I want to honor and the ones I want to point this honor to.
“Thanks to all of you who will walk these paths and these sidewalks and have stars alongside of ours to keep this tradition, this beautiful tradition of Hollywood going.”
Robert Downey Jr. and chef Roy Choi joined Favreau in speaking at the ceremony near the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Favreau directed Downey in the 2008 Marvel superhero film “Iron Man,” and its 2010 sequel “Iron Man 2.”
Favreau portrayed Happy Hogan, the chauffeur and bodyguard for Tony Stark (Downey) in “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “Iron Man 3,” Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Choi and Favreau host the Netflix food documentary series “The Chef Show,” which they also produce and Favreau directs.
“His greatest gift is his humanity,” Downey said of Favreau. “And then there’s the funny. Just for the funny alone this man deserves this star. You will never meet a more searingly sophisticated wit. Why? Because he gets the joke and the joke is often painful. He deeply understands that life is fleeting and if we’re not laughing, we’re dying.”
Favreau received outstanding directing for a drama series and outstanding writing for a drama series Emmy nominations in 2021 for his work on “The Mandalorian’s” second season. “The Mandalorian” has received outstanding drama series Emmy nominations in both of its first two series, with Favreau among the producers nominated.
Favreau also was credited with an Emmy nomination in 2005 for the Independent Film Channel talk show “Dinner for Five,” which he produced and hosted and was nominated for outstanding nonfiction series.
Favreau’s other film directing credits include the 2003 Christmas comedy “Elf”; the 2011 science fiction Western action film “Cowboys & Aliens”; the 2014 road comedy-drama “Chef;” the 2016 a live-action/CGI remake of “The Jungle Book” and the 2019 photorealistic computer-animated version of “The Lion King.”
Favreau was among the producers of “The Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Iron Man 3.”
Favreau also created and produced the Disney+ “Star Wars” series, “The Book of Boba Fett” and produced the Apple TV+ nature documentary series, “Prehistoric Planet.”
Born Oct. 19, 1966, in the New York City borough of Queens, Favreau dropped out of Queens College a few credits short of graduation to move to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy, performing at several improvisational theaters.
What would prove to be a milestone moment came when he was cast in his first film, the 1993 sports biography “Rudy,” and developed a friendship with castmate Vince Vaughn. Favreau wrote the screenplay for “Swingers” for Vaughn. The two co-starred in the 1996 comedy-drama about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the east side of Hollywood, propelling them both to stardom.Favreau and Vaughn also starred in the 2001 crime comedy “Made,” the first film Favreau directed.
Favreau’s other acting credits include the films “Batman Forever,” “PCU,” “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle,” “Wimbledon” and episodes of the television series “Seinfeld,” “Friends,” “Family Guy,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Tracey Takes On…” and “Chicago Hope.”
