Kathy Bates has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The 'About Schmidt' star was accompanied by her friends and family at the event, including frequent co-star Shirley MacLaine and Billy Bob Thornton - who will appear with Bates in upcoming movie 'Bad Santa 2'.

In her acceptance speech at the ceremony, held in front of the TLC Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, Bates admitted it was her Oscar-winning role as deranged nurse Annie Wilkes in 1990 thriller 'Misery' - which was based on Stephen King's novel and starred James Caan as the author Paul Sheldon with whom Bates' character was obsessed with - that changed her life.

She said: "Sixty years ago I stood not far from this very spot with my beloved aunt Lee. We were going to see 'The King and I'. And then 34 years later I came back to this very theatre with another king by the name of Stephen with a movie called 'Misery' that changed my life."

Thornton also paid tribute to Bates on the day, saying: "She is the type of actor who is not only loved by the public, the fans and the critics but also actors who know how good she is and what she can do. I'm gonna keep this short and tell you that if I could be a woman, I'd be Kathy Bates."

Recipients of stars are selected once they have been nominated by fans. If they are then selected, they have up to five years to set a date for the ceremony in which they receive their star.

A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame would have set Kathy back $3,000 in fees that will pay for the installation of her star, as well as for the upkeep and maintenance of the whole pathway.

Bates received the 2,589th star on the famous path.