He didn't find Reynolds then, but he's sure found fame now. Firth is in the middle of a whirlwind of honors for his work as the stuttering King George VI in the highly celebrated film, "/*The King's Speech*/." The 50-year-old actor up for /*Critics' Choice*/, Golden Globe and SAG awards, and he is also a favorite for an Oscar nomination.
So does he feel a shift with all the attention he's been getting?
"You know, if you'd asked me that at the beginning of it all, I would have said, 'It's hard to measure. We'll wait and see,'" said Firth. "But, yeah, there's nothing ... I've never known anything quite like this.
"I think I'll probably wake up in a kind of strange state of shock in about three months time thinking, 'did that actually happen?'"
Firth was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Livia, and his "The King's Speech" co-star, Guy Pearce.
"Working with Colin was one of the most delightful experiences I've ever had. He really is a true gentleman. He's one of the most sensitive, smart, open and honest people that I've worked with," said Pierce.
Firth's star is next to the star of his friend and "Nanny McPhee" leading lady /*Emma Thompson*/.
"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 who will listen that I'm the guy whose name is on the sidewalk, failing to recognize that the old lady next to me is, in fact, Emma Thompson," said Firth.
"It's quite incredible. It's just a challenge to process because, you know, there's things you dream of ... a little mind-blowing when they deliver."
Firth's star on Hollywood Boulevard is just outside the Pig 'N Whistle, where they named a new drink in his honor: Colin's Collins.
Firth was a best actor nominee at the /*Oscars*/, /*Golden Globes*/ and /*Screen Actors Guild Awards*/ last year for his performance in "A Single Man."
His film credits include "Mamma Mia!" "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Shakespeare in Love," "The English Patient," "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "What a Girl Wants."
