9 Quick Questions for Michael Strahan

Pro football hall of famer is still thriving under the bright lights

Gayle Jo Carter,

AARP

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Published October 12, 2022

michael strahan smiling, wearing a blue button down shirt and grey suit jacket in front of window with white trim

Michael Strahan Daily Defense

After an impressive 15-season NFL career as a defensive end with the New York Giants, Michael Strahan traded his helmet and pads for a suit and tie as a Fox sports commentator and a morning show host, including his current gig as coanchor on ABC’s Good Morning America. His latest career endeavors include hosting ABC’s primetime show The $100,000 Pyramid, plus a fashion and skin care line.

You transitioned from an athlete to an on-air TV personality. Which is more fun?

Totally different types of fun. Both are great, but being an athlete, especially in football with all those pads on, is almost a feeling of invincibility. You’re a superhero and you can accomplish anything. … TV [hosting] is completely mental and completely about focus. It's a different kind of thrill. Overall, there is nothing that compares to sports for me, but I’m not sore the next day when I do TV.

In your career, you’re under bright studio lights most days. Was that the motivation behind your new Michael Strahan Daily Defense skin care line?

Being under the hot lights, wearing studio makeup and just literally the grit and grime of everyday life led me to it. … Your skin is the one thing you never take off. The biggest confidence booster is to have great skin.

You’ve interviewed some high-profile people. Who’s still on your wish list?

The one person — I’ve only met [him] once but I’ve never interviewed — I’ve been a big fan for a long time [is] Brad Pitt. For some reason, I’m enamored with having a chance to interview him. I’ve interviewed presidents, but Brad Pitt has been eluding me.

You spend a lot of time in a suit and tie. What’s your casual attire?

I love being at work with a suit on. It makes me just feel so much more official and focused, but when I’m not at work, I’m in blue jeans [with] either a nice button-down or a polo or just a regular T-shirt pullover. Pretty casual. I wear an outfit that’s good enough to relax and be comfortable but yet, if I have to jump on Zoom or do anything work related, then I feel dressed enough for that.

Do you have any of your old football jerseys, and do you ever wear them?

I actually saved quite a few of them — my Super Bowl jerseys, my Pro Bowl jerseys, And I do not wear them. Most of them are in frames. I hang them on the wall in my gym at home and in my so-called man cave.

michael strahan, robin roberts, and george stephanopoulos sit at desk in front of window that shows part of downtown new york city

Since 2016, Michael Strahan has been co-hosting "Good Morning America" alongside Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.

Ida Mae Astute/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

If you weren’t a football commentator, what sports would you want to cover?

Golf or F1 [Formula 1] racing. First of all, I’m the biggest car fanatic in the world. I’m a big McLaren F1 fan, so I would love to cover F1 racing, travel around the world to cool races and watch these guys do amazing things in automobiles. That would be fantastic. Golf, because I love to golf, and I think there’s something very peaceful in a lot of ways about the sport.

Have you gotten into the pickleball craze?

I’ve played it. The first time I ever played was with Justin Timberlake. He comes into the gym — I’m with a buddy of mine and he was there with his buddy, and we were working out — and he says, “Hey, why don’t you come play pickleball? It’s fun, it’s this, it’s that.” I said, “We’ve never played.” He says, “I haven’t either.” Then, come to find out, he and his buddy had been playing quite a bit. We still gave them a good run for the money.

You turned 50 last November. Did you have a big birthday bash?

michael strahan touching chin and holding bottle of beard oil from his skin care line with the other hand, towel hanging up against marble wall behind him

Strahan recently launched a new men's skin care line featuring shaving lotion, facial cleanser, moisturizer and more.

Michael Strahan Daily Defense

I did. It was a big deal. A friend of mine turned 60 and every year we celebrate our birthdays [together] because we’re one day apart — 10 years and 364 days apart. This was our 110th birthday — we put the 60 and the 50 together — and we threw a big party [with] about 80 people in the Bahamas, over three or four days. It was more than fantastic. It was great to have my mom there, my kids, my other family and friends. It was beyond my expectations.

A month later, you were onboard for Blue Origin’s third crewed spaceflight. How was that experience?

Life changing. Less fearful than I imagined, more delightful than I imagined. You really learn how insignificant you are on the planet, and how insignificant in a lot of ways the planet is in our solar system. Kind of puts everything in perspective about life.

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Gayle Jo Carter is a former entertainment editor at USA WEEKEND, who during her 30-year reporting and editing career, has worked at USA TODAY, Voice of America and Feature Story News. When not interviewing high-profile people, she’s teaching reformer Pilates classes and doing her best to raise two empathetic, curious, healthy young people to adulthood.