Back in the day, statues of famous people were usually reserved for either royalty or war heroes. It wasn’t until much more recently that we began to erect statues to commemorate our favorite Hollywood stars. After years, more statues are made to honor actors and actresses who made a profound impact on the entertainment industry. This is especially true in the hometowns of the stars who grew up outside the shadow of Los Angeles. These statues help people remember icons who grow up there. A sense of pride that a son or daughter is able to be an entertainer after growing up in town. Stay tuned, as Facts Verse presents: Hollywood Celebrities Who Have Statues of Themselves!
Elvis Presley’s Statues
This one comes as a surprise to music lovers since the visage of Elvis adorns the country. This has been especially true in the years since the music and movie star’s passing. From portraits of him, to live impersonators, it’s hard to go without seeing Elvis’s face in some form or another. And the same is true in Tupelo Mississippi, where the King was born. Perhaps fitting for how big of an impact Elvis had on the entertainment world. The city didn’t restrict itself to only one statue of the late legend. For starters, there’s one called “Elvis at 13” which is situated at Elvis Presley‘s Birthplace.
Not surprisingly, it depicts Elvis at 13 years old. His 13th year was important because it was when he decided to leave Tupelo in search of bigger things. There’s another set of two statues that serve as a companion piece together, both also at Elvis Presley’s Birthplace. One is called “Becoming.” It features Elvis as a kid, playing guitar while standing on a milk crate. The guitar is meant to represent the one that was bought for him from Tupelo Hardware, a local shop. Behind that statue is another one of Elvis. This one shows him as an adult. Adorn in a classic Elvis costume that is reminiscent of him at the height of his success.
There’s also a statue of Presley in the Fairpark District downtown, memorializing his Homecoming concert in 1956. The statue is meant to mirror a famous photo taken by Roger Marshutz, called “The Hands.”
Andy Griffith’s Statues
Andy Griffith is an icon of the entertainment industry and also makes it big in a small town. The famous Andy Griffith Show sets in the fictional town of Mayberry. It is very much modeled around the place where Griffith grow up, Mount Airy, North Carolina. Andy loved North Carolina so much, in fact, that during the run of Matlock, he told the show’s producers that he would quit unless they agreed to film it in his current residence, Wilmington, NC. The power that be acquiesced, and the final three seasons of Matlock were filmed in Wilmington. So it seems fitting that there would be a statue of Andy in the Tar Heel state.
In Mount Airy, there’s a bronze statue that depicts Andy, accompanied by young Opie Taylor (played in the show by Ron Howard) as they walk to the old fishing hole. The statue was given to Mount Airy by the TV Land network. They had been airing the Andy Griffith show for a number of years at that point, and it was a hugely popular show for the network. So they felt that a fitting tribute would be to gift Andy’s birthplace a statue to commemorate him and the show. The statue sits in front of the Andy Griffith Museum, a spot that attracts fans from all over the world, looking to check out memorabilia and learn more about Andy and the show. And nearby is the Andy Griffith Playhouse. It’s actually the site of a former elementary school auditorium, one in which Andy sang for the first time in public.
Elizabeth Montgomery
TV Land didn’t limit itself to honoring the late Andy Griffith with a statue donation. They did the same for Elizabeth Montgomery, who was best known as the star of the classic sitcom, Bewitched. Now, as opposed to the Elvis and Andy Griffith statues we’ve already discussed, this one didn’t go in Elizabeth Montgomery’s home town. She was born in Los Angeles in 1933. Instead, the network leaned into the character’s background, and went with Salem, Massachusetts. That, of course, was the location of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in 1662.
And while no one is proud of the act of killing innocent women who were accused of being witches in the 17th century, Salem does enjoy playing into its role as a ‘witchy’ and haunting town. It has since become a hotspot for tourism, as people from all over come to see commemorations in various forms of the Salem Witch Trials. So, because Elizabeth’s character in Bewitched was, indeed, a witch, it made sense that they’d donate a statue of her to Salem. The statue is located in Lappin Park, where Washington and Essex Streets meet. It’s also the situated where they shot a few episodes of Bewitched, so there’s even more of a connection to the show for the location. The statue is of Montgomery, as Samantha Stevens, sitting atop a broom. It’s a popular tourist attraction among the many witch-centric ones in Salem.
John Wayne
John Wayne, aka The Duke, was a legendary actor, known best for domninating the landscape of American Westerns for years. He was born in Winterset, Iowa on may 26th, 1907. Of course, back then he was known as Marion Robert Morrison. He was given the stage name by his good friend, director John Ford. As the story goes, they were looking to find alternatives to “Marion” which apparently didn’t sound manly enough for those days. So he began going by Duke Morrison for a while. Then he was talking to Ford one day, and said he wanted a name like his.
Ford commented that the only other successful Ford he could think of was Henry Ford, and that Morrison should pick a different last name. he asked Morrison who his favorite war hero was, and Morrison said it was the Revolutionary War general “Mad” Anthony Wayne. So they agreed right then it would be John Wayne going forward. And while Wayne moved away from Winterset to chase his dreams, the town never forgot him. So much so, they built a museum to honor him. It’s 6100 square feet of memorabilia both from his life and his career as an actor. It’s the only John Wayne museum on earth, and standing tall in front of it is a 7-foot statue of Wayne. The statue itself was given to the museum by the Wayne family. John’s daughter Aissa Wayne actually dedicated it during the 2010 John Wayne Birthday Celebration.
Sylvester Stallone
While Sylvester Stallone is certainly a big enough star to merit statues of himself, the most famous one of his visage is one that’s on top of the famous steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And, as you might have guessed, it’s actually a statue of his famous character, Rocky Balboa. Stallone made the steps famous by including them in his 1976 classic, Rocky, and having Rocky Balboa run up them as part of his training. And the most famous scene, perhaps of all the Rocky movies, takes place on top of the steps, where Stallone’s character jumps up and down with his hands up after racing up them.
In fact, it’s such a legendary and well known scene that the steps are now simply referred to as the “Rocky Steps.” So it would make sense that at the top of those 72 steps would be a bronze statue of the fictional prize fighter. But unlike the previous statues we’ve covered, this one was actually donated to the city by the star himself. Stallone took it upon himself to commemorate the moment that cemented his legacy as a star, but commissioning a statue of Rocky and gifting it to Philadelphia. And of course, it’s been a great thing for the city, as it attracts people from all over, looking to take some photos alongside the statue after they run up those same stairs!
Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler has had a long and illustrious career, with success recently in shows like Arrested Development and Barry. But long before that, his original big role was that of Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on Happy Days. That show aired from 1974 to 1984, but it was a period piece, set in the 1950’s and ‘60s in Milwaukee. So when artist Gerald Sawyer was asked by the folks at “Visit Milwaukee” to create a statue that depicted The Fonz, he was happy to do it. After all, the character is not only a classic of American sitcoms and pop culture, but it also helped put Milwaukee on the map in the eyes of TV viewers all over.
The organization fundraised $75,000 to commission Sawyer’s work, and the finished statue was placed on the Milwaukee Riverwalk. Next to the statue is an inscription noting all of the people who donated money to make it happen. As was customary in the show, the Fonz is immortalized standing with a ‘thumbs up’ gesture. It has been a major tourist attraction for anyone visiting Milwaukee. And the man himself was even there for the dedication of the statue.
Now it’s time to hear from you. Have you ever visited any of these famous statues? Who do you think deserves the next bronze statue? Let us know in the comments section below!
