Fundraising bid seeks to get 'Hulk' star Bill Bixby on Hollywood Walk of Fame

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Almost 23 years after the death of actor Bill Bixby, his TV son is raising money to have the "Incredible Hulk" star honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bixby's career in television spanned more than 30 years, including starring roles in "My Favorite Martian" and "The Courtship of Eddie's Father."

But his best-known role was Dr. David Banner in "The Incredible Hulk," the scientist who is transformed in times of anger into the powerful green Hulk, played by Lou Ferrigno. The show ran on CBS from 1978 to 1982 and was followed by three television movies.

Bixby died in Los Angeles in 1993 of prostate cancer, shortly after directing a series of episodes of the sitcom "Blossom."

In "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," which ran on ABC from 1969-1972, Bixby played a widower raising his young son.

Eddie was played by Brandon Cruz, who says those 73 episodes helped them forge a lifetime friendship.

"Bill was a mentor to me," Cruz said. "He was a father figure to me. He was the guy who told me, 'No acting. We hired a kid. Remain a kid'."

Cruz, who also had guest roles on "Hulk," even gave his son the middle name Bixby to honor his TV dad.

Now he's is trying to repay that friendship by raising funds to get a star for Bixby on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has started a GoFundMe page to raise the $35,000 - that's $30,000 required by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to install and maintain the star and $5,000 for other expenses.

Nomination applications are due by May 31 and the Walk of Fame Committee meets in June to make its selections for 2017.

"Two weeks before he passed away, he was directing 'Blossom'," Cruz recalled. "I went to the studio to watch him film and direct. And we had lunch. He was pretty thin. He said, 'You know, I'm going to beat this.' And I said, 'Well, you beat this, I'll get you a star.' Now, 23 years later, I'm working to get him that star."

Cruz plans to be at the Walk of Fame Friday near Madame Tussaud's to hold a rally and raise money before the deadline.

"I really feel that if 300 or 400 people come together to get this star for Bill, it's going to mean that much more because they all have a little piece in it."