Richard Burton's Walk Of Fame Star Unveiled

Screen star Richard Burton has been immortalised on the Hollywood Walk of Fame almost three decades after his death.

The legendary actor's posthumous star - next to that of his twice-wife Elizabeth Taylor - was dedicated in a ceremony on Friday.

Appropriately, the Welsh-born actor's accolade was unveiled on St David's Day.

The honour coincides with celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the movie Cleopatra, the film in which the two Hollywood legends first shared the silver screen.

Their adopted daughter, Maria Burton, accepted the star on her father's behalf.

Actor and fellow Welshman Michael Sheen spoke at the unveiling and recalled the awe he felt when Burton and Taylor, one of Hollywood's most famous couples, visited the village where Sheen grew up.

"The same beach that I built my boyhood sand castles (on) and learned to flailingly swim - it was that same beach, that one legendary day, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor descended from the heavens, like gods from Olympus, in a helicopter ... and landed on those sands," Sheen said.

Born Richard Jenkins, Burton was nominated for seven Academy Awards during his career but never won an Oscar.

He was married five times and died in 1984 from a cerebral haemorrhage at age 58.

His is the 2,941st star to be installed on the sidewalk lining Hollywood Boulevard.

Burton's place there is the result of a campaign by the Western Mail, the national newspaper of Wales.

Welsh business academic Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, who led the campaign, said: "This public recognition for Richard Burton's body of work will not only help raise the profile of Wales internationally, but will also help to raise funds to provide scholarships in the legendary actor's name to support young Welsh talent at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama."

The scandalous relationship between Taylor and Burton began as they worked on Cleopatra, by which point the Oxford-educated, coal miner's son was best known as a distinguished Shakespearean stage actor.

That period in their lives was recently captured in the television film Liz & Dick, staring troubled actress Lindsay Lohan as Taylor.

The pair went on to become one of the world's most celebrated couples, starring together in 10 further films, including The Taming Of The Shrew and Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Their first 10-year marriage ended in divorce in 1974. They tied the knot once more the following year in Botswana but it lasted only until the following summer.

Cleopatra's anniversary will also be marked with its release on Blu-ray disc for the first time later this year.