"I found out my purpose is pretty much people," the anchor said in his acceptance speech.
Michael Strahan made a big family event out of getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Good Morning America co-anchor and Pro Football Hall of Famer, who received the first star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame's sports entertainment category during a ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard on Monday, was beaming as he celebrated the occasion with his mother Louise Strahan. The ceremony was also attended by three of his four children, reports Good Morning America.
Strahan addressed the stage to thank his friends and family for coming after receiving the certificate from the city of Los Angeles. Referring to his December 2021 sub-orbital spaceflight on the Blue Origin NS-19, Strahan joked, saying, "I was less nervous going to space," adding, "You kind of wake up and you're here. But I'm happy I'm here because I never thought I'd make it here. I was just living, I was just enjoying life, I was just working. I was just trying to enjoy everything that came my way."
He added, "But you look and you wonder what's your purpose. And I found out my purpose is pretty much people. My purpose is pretty much to enjoy life and to spread joy and spread happiness and to enjoy everything that comes your way and to make sure everyone in your life feels important." He concluded after thanking his Fox and ABC families.
Before he received the honorable star, in an interview with Variety, Strahan opened up about what it means to him. “I’m so nervous about this — of all the things in the world,” he said. “It’s beyond even my comprehension, knowing where I started and what this all signifies for me, it’s overwhelming.”
Strahan is thankful for his support system and credits them for this accolade. “In the game of football, that was my dad. In the TV world, it’s my business partner Constance, my Fox family and my ABC family, who all push me further than I would push myself,” he shared.
“I think I’m a product of just being around the right people at the right time and who have the right intentions,” he shared.
Constance Scwartz-Morini, the co-founder of Strahan's talent management company SMAC, and actor Terry Crews both paid tribute to Strahan, saying that "there is nothing that symbolizes stardom" more than the GMA anchor. "We're former athletes and you know, the thing is -- I remember when you retired and we were sitting there talking about, 'Should I try this Hollywood thing?'" Crews recalled.
Crews shared how inspiring Strahan is to him, saying, "When I see everything you've done since then, it's so truly inspiring to me, to every person out there as a Black man, as an athlete, as every American should strive to be the kind of person you are. And the one word I have for Michael Strahan is 'integrity.'" He added, "When you see that smile, it's real, when he says hello to you, it's real. Mike, no one deserves this more than you. Mike Strahan is the man!"
References:
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/michael-strahan-walk-of-fame-gma-space-1235492091/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | JC Olivera
