Jessica Schirripa of #HipNJ attended the New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee ceremony in Asbury Park, NJ. Schirripa spoke with several New Jersey born celebrities on the red carpet, from athletes to authors.
Todd Frazier, a Major League Baseball third baseman says his parents “brought him up the right way: the New Jersey way.”
“I’m a guy that talks a lot, and that’s New Jersey,” Frazier said. “We’re emotional and we take everything a little too seriously. And guess what: We really don’t care at the end of the day.”
George R.R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels, said he was excited to return to his home state.
“New Jersey is where all my roots are,” Martin said. “It’s where I first dreamed all my dreams of distant planets and the Middle Ages and knights and aliens and dragons and whatever. All of that stuff started in Bayonne.”
Laurie Hernandez, Olympic gold medal gymnast, discussed how people have always believed in her and cheered her on.
“It meant a lot to me,” Hernandez said, “Community is the reason why I got to where I am today, so I’m really appreciative of that.”
New Jersey natives weren’t the only people in attendance. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was born in Cleveland, spoke with Schirripa. He said his favorite thing about New Jersey is the people.
“They’re always there for each other, and they realize that each of us are their safety-net for the other stuff,” Oz said. “That’s what humanity has always been about, and we know it in New Jersey.”
Timothy White, celebrity portrait photographer, also attended the event. He noted that New Jersey “kind of breeds a certain kind of individual, I think, that has helped me in my career”.
Make sure to check out the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s website.
For everything Garden State, keep checking out HipNewJersey.com!
