Walk of Fame goes Rogen
Late singer Cohen, Olympic skaters also earn national recognition
Movie star Seth Rogen, Olympic medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and retired astronaut Chris Hadfield are joining Canada’s Walk of Fame.
The organization said Monday its latest cohort of influential Canadians will also include a posthumous honour for Montreal singer Leonard Cohen.
In total, 10 people will be recognized at a ceremony slated for December. Also joining the club is Rogen’s frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg, a writer, director and childhood friend who rose alongside Rogen to the upper echelons of Hollywood with hit movies including Superbad.
The Vancouver-born duo — who will share a star with their names on the same plaque — welcomed the news with a video spoof of The Red Green Show posted online Monday. Their version, called The Seth + Evan Show, featured the comics dressed in plaid shirts and khakis that recalled the looks of titular character Red and his bespectacled nephew Harold.
“Being Canadian is the biggest honour anyone could ask for,” Rogen said as Red. “But an even bigger honour is getting inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.”
Doctors Without Borders president Joanne Liu, singer-songwriter Andy Kim and billionaire businessman Jimmy Pattison, head of The Jim Pattison Group, are also set to be honoured.
And U.S.-born funnywoman Andrea Martin is getting a spot for spending her formative years in Canada working on SCTV, as well as My Big Fat Greek Wedding and other homegrown productions. She recently received her Canadian citizenship.
The inclusion of Olympic favourites Virtue and Moir might come as a surprise, acknowledged Walk of Fame head Jeffrey Latimer, because they’re still active in their skating careers.
“Many times the Walk of Fame has celebrated the success of great sports figures and Olympians after (they) ... have retired,” he noted.
But Latimer said he believed it’s important to induct sports figures “when they are on top of the world.”
Inductees will also receive $10,000 to donate to a local charity of their choice, Latimer said.
Latimer added that the induction gala will include a reunion of past honorees. Invitations have also been sent to former Canadian prime ministers and governor generals.
“Right now we’ve got over 20 of the past inductees,” Latimer said. “I think there’s going to be many more.”
The ceremony takes place Dec. 1 in Toronto and will air on CTV later the same month.