You Are The Star Mural

Painted on the side of the Attie building on Wilcox Avenue and the corner of Hollywood Blvd, the 20’ x 30’ “You Are the Star” mural was applied by New Mexico artist Thomas Suriya. The mural, which was featured most recently in the 2016 film “LA LA Land,” depicts famous actors including Richard Pryor, Laurel and Hardy, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and James Dean, sitting in a theater, their seats facing the street.

The story behind the mural is that in 1983, Suriya was a budding artist living with his friend Michael Attie in an "alternative living space" near Nevada City, California. Attie's parents owned the Art Deco Hollywood structure, as well as a lingerie store, Playmates of Hollywood, on the first floor. When Attie went to Hollywood to take over the family business, he asked Suriya to come up with a mural idea for an exterior wall of the building. It was a very creative time in Hollywood. Working on the project the year before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was a thrill, Suriya said, as film crews from all over the world followed his work. The mural, which has become a must-see for tourists and locals alike, is a testimony to the transformative power of art. This documentary image by Dawn Avalon was captured in the summer of 1986. It shows the original mural before any damage and restoration had been done. Also noted is the original art deco design of the building which was constructed in 1931.