(photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

Will Ferrell received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday in front of a large crowd that included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Actors Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly helped emcee the event.

The comedic actor received the 2,547th star in the category of motion pictures, located near The Hollywood Wax Museum at 6767 Hollywood Blvd.

Ferrell’s latest film, Warner Bros. comedy “Get Hard”, in which he stars opposite Kevin Hart, opens on March 27.

Born and raised in Irvine, Ferrell graduated from USC with a degree in sports information. He worked as a sportscaster on a local weekly cable show before enrolling in acting classes and stand-up comedy workshops. He was asked to join the comedy/improv group The Groundlings after one year of training.

At The Groundlings, Ferrell was discovered for “Saturday Night Live”, where he starred for seven seasons. Fan favorite characters included President George W. Bush, Craig the Spartan Spirit Cheerleader, musical middle school teacher Marty Culp, Janet Reno, Alex Trebek, Neil Diamond and the late, Chicago Cubs sportscaster Harry Caray.

Ferrell has acted in a number of films including “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “The LEGO Movie,” “The Campaign”, “Elf”, “Zoolander”, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “Step Brothers” and “Old School”. Ferrell has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards, one for “The Producers” and one for his work in “Stranger Than Fiction”. He also earned a 2009 Tony Award nomination for his Broadway debut, headlining the one-man comedy show “Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America, A Final Night with George W Bush”.

In 2007, Ferrell and Adam McKay founded the popular and award-winning video website Funnyordie.com.

Ferrell is heavily involved with Cancer for College, which provides scholarships for students with cancer. The charity was founded by his college friend and two-time cancer survivor Craig Pollard.