GMS hosts Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos are now stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were unveiled Thursday honoring “Good Morning America” anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos as the final event in the yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ABC morning show’s Nov. 3, 1975, debut.

Actress Niecy Nash-Betts, a friend of Roberts; actor Michael J. Fox, a friend of Stephanopoulos; Debra O’Connell, chairman of Disney Entertainment Television; and Michael Strahan, the morning show’s other anchor, spoke at the Thursday morning ceremony at 6920 Hollywood Blvd., near the El Capitan Theatre.

“He’s such a class guy, a remarkable man,” Strahan said of Stephanopoulos. “He’s had a remarkable career in television. But before becoming a TV journalist and all this other stuff, George was working in the White House as President Bill Clinton’s communications director, and for nearly three decades, he has brought that same intelligence, his curiosity, his dedication to the world of journalism.”

Strahan recalled meeting Roberts while making his transition from sports to broadcasting.

“I remember feeling like the new guy right in Hollywood trying to figure it out. On the red carpet at the Oscars, I see this tall stunning woman across the red carpet. She saunters over to me, and she says, ‘Are you nervous?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I am.’ And she said three words to me. ‘Michael, you belong.’ It seems like such a simple thing to say, but it meant everything to me because it reminded me that nobody starts out knowing everything. And I was okay to learn on the way,” Strahan said.

Fox joked about his friendship with Stephanopoulos.

“One of the funny things about being with George all these years, if he calls you at seven in the morning, it’s to make lunch plans,” Fox said. “And dinner’s five-thirty, and he’s running out the door at six o’clock. I think it’s a ruse not to pay the bill.”

Fox also recalled vacationing with Stephanopoulos’ family.

“We’ve gone to Greece twice,” Fox said. “If you ever want to be invisible, go to Greece with George Stephanopoulos. No one will ever see you.”

Fox jokingly nominated Stephanopoulos for the 2028 presidential election, then told him, “I love you. I love your family. I couldn’t be more thrilled than to see you have a star on the Walk of Fame.”

Stephanopoulos said he was honored to be friends with Fox, and to work with Roberts and Strahan.

“I honestly can’t believe that we share a desk together. Every single day,” Stephanopoulos said. “I can’t imagine that I sit at a desk with a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member. An NFL Hall of Famer. And they tolerate a very height-challenged teammate.”

He said his career at ABC News has given him opportunities he never anticipated.

“I never could have imagined that I would interview Kermit the Frog,” Stephanopoulos said. “I never could have imagined that I would agree to dress up on Halloween as Lady Gaga. I never could have imagined that I would race an Olympic medalist to the top of the Empire State Building and did pretty well, actually, not bad.”

Roberts said the anchors’ differing backgrounds had helped create a bond.

“If you look at our resumes, we could not be more different,” Roberts said. “Our backgrounds are so incredibly different, but it’s the similarities that bond us. Our passion for storytelling is only second to the passion that we have for our families.”

Roberts said they were the longest-running duo in morning television history.

Stephanopoulos’ star was placed next to Strahan’s. Roberts’ star was placed next to Stephanopoulos’, according to Ana Martinez, the producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The stars are the 2,862nd and 2,863rd since the Walk of Fame’s completion in 1961 with its initial 1,558 stars.

Roberts was born Nov. 23, 1960, in Tuskegee, Alabama, and raised in Pass Christian, Mississippi. She played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana University from 1979 to 1983 and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 for her contributions to the sport as a broadcaster.

Roberts joined ABC News in 1995 as a featured reporter, became a “Good Morning America Sunday” anchor in 1998 and a “Good Morning America” anchor in 2005.

Stephanopoulos was born Feb. 10, 1961, in Fall River, Massachusetts. He was communications director for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and later served as White House communications director and a senior adviser for policy and strategy.

He joined ABC News in 1997 as an analyst for “This Week,” became its host in 2002 and a “Good Morning America” anchor in 2009. He was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame in 2024.