"I used to take the bus from here to Burbank to go to work," he recalled. "When the bus was late, I would walk up and down and throw my cigarettes down. Now I have the honor of having this done to my star."
Guests at the ceremony included Robbins' longtime partner, Susan Sarandon, as well as relatively diminutive actor Jack Black, who said he has known the tall, lanky Robbins for 25 years.
"I literally looked up to him," Black joked. "I actually became his stalker because I wanted to be part of his world."
Robbins was nominated for a best-director Oscar in 1996 for "Dead Man Walking," a movie he co-wrote about the death penalty.
Sarandon's role in it won the Oscar for best actress.
"I am so pleased to be a part of his life, and I want to present Tim's best production - our three kids," Sarandon said.
Born in West Covina, Calif., and raised in New York City, Robbins came from a family of entertainers. His father, Gil Robbins, played with the folk group The Highwaymen in the 1960s.
Robbins, 49, is known for his proclivity for bold roles. He has appeared in critically acclaimed films such as "Mystic River," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Jacob's Ladder" and "The Player."
In Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," Robbins' portrayal of a man haunted by memories of childhood sexual abuse won him a best supporting actor Oscar in 2004.
