Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday.
Denzel Washington, Danielle Deadwyler and the cast and filmmakers of "The Piano Lesson" were at the dedication, and Wilson's widow, Constanza Romero Wilson, accepted the star on her husband's behalf, 20 years after his death.
"August, my beloved husband, was a man of immense passion and unwavering dedication. He possessed a unique voice, a poet's soul, and a deep understanding of the human condition," Constanza Romero Wilson said.
Wilson was born in Pittsburgh on April 27, 1945, and grew up in the Hill District. The Hollywood Walk of Fame says he dropped out of high school following unfounded accusations of plagiarism, and with an informal education from the Carnegie Library and a $20 typewriter, he began to write.
Wilson created the 10-play American Century Cycle, which documented the experience of Black Americans in each decade of the 20th century, with Pittsburgh and the Hill District serving as the setting for all but one. Wilson won multiple awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes, and three of his plays have been adapted for film.
Wilson's star is the 2,799th on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's located at 1611 Vine Street.
"The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is honored to pay tribute to trail-blazing playwright August Wilson, whose profound storytelling continues to inspire and resonate with audiences around the world," Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said in a news release.
