(Reuters) – Uggie, the lively Jack Russell terrier whose antics in Oscar-winning film “The Artist” stole audience members’ hearts, became the first dog on Monday to leave his prints beside the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in front of Hollywood’s famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Dressed in a black bow tie and posing for photographers, Uggie sank his paws in cement in a ceremony that also marked his retirement from the movies. The 10-year-old canine, who hit the big time as French actor Jean Dujardin’s cute sidekick in the silent movie, will appear at charity events, his trainer said.
“Everybody thinks I am great trainer. I don’t think so. I think he is just a great dog,” trainer Omar von Muller said at the paw print ceremony, thanking Uggie’s fans and his thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook.
Filmed in black and white, “The Artist” won five Oscars, including best picture, in February. The Blu-ray version of the movie sees its release on Tuesday. Fans mounted a campaign to have Uggie nominated for an acting Academy Award in his own right, but the pooch was ineligible under rules that say acting awards can only go to humans.
Uggie, who also performed in “Water for Elephants,” has made appearances around the world since “The Artist” was released last year. He won the 2011 Palm Dog award at the Cannes film festival in May and the Golden Collar Award in Los Angeles in February.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Jan Paschal)