Bill Nye, the beloved science educator known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a Monday ceremony attended by friends, family and fellow celebrities.
Nye was honored with the 2,821st star on the Walk of Fame, recognizing his impact on science education through his Emmy-winning television show that aired from 1993 to 1999.
“For me, being a permanent part of all this, of Hollywood, is quite an honor,” Nye said during the ceremony. “When you’re in love, you want to tell the world. And I love science. I love comedy. I love television.”
Boston Celtics guard and four-time NBA all-star Jaylen Brown praised Nye’s influence on students during his remarks at the ceremony.
“For a generation of students who grew up in the public school system, possibly thinking that school was not for them, Bill was the bright spot in all of our day,” Brown said. “When they rolled that TV out with the trolley, we knew what time it was. But Bill did not just teach science, he taught a generation of students of all walks of life to explore, to discover, to create, and also to ask questions.”
Comedian Joel McHale, who appeared on “Bill Nye the Science Guy” in 1998, highlighted Nye’s unique ability to make science accessible and entertaining.
“Everyone’s like, he made science cool. No, science was already cool. Bill Nye made science fun,” McHale said. “He went to Cornell, became an engineer, knows way more than you guys, and still decided for some masochistic reason to walk into comedy clubs and make people laugh. And that is how he became Bill Nye the Science Guy.”
Nye graduated from Cornell University in 1977 with a mechanical engineering degree and initially worked at Boeing before quitting in 1986 to pursue his comedy career full-time.
During his acceptance speech, Nye referenced the constitutional foundation for scientific advancement, noting that “the word science is even in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, the progress of science and useful arts.”
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