Tearful Colin Firth awarded Hollywood star

(Fred Prouser / Reuters)

Colin Firth was moved to tears as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The actor, who found fame playing Mr Darcy in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, dedicated the honour to his Italian wife.

"I want to thank everybody that has accompanied me on this extraordinary journey, but probably more than anybody I could ever imagine Livia who has walked every step of this with me joyfully and truthfully," he said yesterday.

Before dabbing his eyes, he added: "When I look down there at that star, it's her name I see."

Later the 50-year-old was reluctant to admit he had shed a tear.

"You can make of it what you will, it was the wind," he laughed.

But he added: "Yes inside I was a seething torrent of emotion."

His shrine is the 2,429th star, conveniently located in front of the Pig 'N Whistle pub on Hollywood Boulevard, right next to British actress Emma Thompson's.

"Actually that's almost as good as the thing itself," he said.

During his speech, he joked: "I have a feeling I'm going to be here when I'm about 93 under a pile of blankets asking for spare change and trying to convince anyone that will listen that I'm the guy whose name is on the sidewalk - failing to recognise that the old lady next to me is in fact Emma Thompson."

Firth has a big weekend ahead. The star of The King's Speech is a front runner to win Best Actor at this Sunday's Golden Globes.

Critics are also tipping him for an Oscar nomination later this month for his portrayal of a stammering King George VI.