Horror legend Guillermo del Toro receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Guillermo del Toro has been a guiding force in shaping genre films over the last few decades. Now the writer/director/creature designer extraordinaire has had his hard work and influence set in stone. Today, the Oscar-winning creative behind movies like Hellboy, Pacific Rim, Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Crimson Peak (plus many, many others) received the 2,669th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at a ceremony presided over by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Rana Ghadban, director J.J. Abrams, and singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey.

Del Rey recently covered "Season of the Witch" for the del Toro-produced Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark:

Del Ray read an excerpt from a Clarissa Pinkola Estés piece, praising del Toro's dedication to his own unique storytelling style. "In a culture of sameness, he's completely himself," the singer said. Then came Abrams, who has been working with del Toro on a secret project called Zanbato:

As del Toro signed Funko figures in the background and waved to fans, his seemingly endless accolades were listed. Ted Danson, Issa López, Ron Perlman (Hellboy himself), Elliott Gould, Mary Steenburgen, Clifton Collins Jr., Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal and the film's cast, and more were among the celebrity attendees come to honor the creative. Abrams called del Toro "one of the most creative and inventive minds in the entertainment industry" before remembering their first meeting in 1991. They met because of legendary makeup artist Dick Smith, who invited Abrams and del Toro to dinner — a meeting of adoring fans. And del Toro's journals were there ... and they blew Abrams' mind.

Then came del Toro, who plugged López's Tigers Are Not Afraid and admitted that he was unabashedly "weird." Searching for Boris Karloff and Alfred Hitchcock's stars on the Walk of Fame during his first trip exploring it, del Toro explained his connection to the destination. After promising to finance makeup artist Jack Pierce's own star on the Walk, he said he'd imbue his star with a little bit of himself — and a little bit of magic — for anyone who might need it. Finally, del Toro emphasized that he is an immigrant and that all immigrants should believe in the possibilities, not the lies keeping them down.

"When people say I dwell in fantasy, I say I don't," del Toro said. "Politicians do. Churches do. I don't. I deal with facts of the soul and the stories." He continued, more specifically, to address the current political climate. "I can tell to all immigrants, from every nation," del Toro said, "that you should believe in the possibilities and not the obstacles. Ever. Do not believe in the lies they tell about us."

Fans of del Toro can catch his influence next in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (on which del Toro has a story and producer credit), out to spook kids and adults alike when it hits theaters on Aug. 9.