New Jersey is home to some of the best actresses in the business

There are many notable actresses who have wowed audiences with their talent on the stage, screen and television. We are fortunate here in New Jersey to share their amazing talents with the rest of the world.

I had the pleasure of meeting a few of these talented ladies. Here is the impressive list of those who have made the arts more enjoyable.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is known as one of the greatest actresses of all time. She’s been nominated for an incredible 21 Academy Awards and a record 32 Golden Globes. She was born in Summit and raised in Basking Ridge and Bernardsville, was a cheerleader and served as senior Homecoming queen.

I got to meet Meryl at a charity event, and she shared some great stories of New Jersey. I found her to be real and enjoyable and she shared that she wasn’t a fan of events that we were attending, and we laughed at the irony of that statement. She is an incredible person and outstanding actress, but then again, she’s a Jersey girl.

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Susan Sarandon

I had a blast talking to Susan Sarandon. She is a person that looks you right in the eyes and is so comfortable about who she is. I met Susan twice, the first time I interviewed her on the red carpet of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and she had recently had a skiing accident and was nursing a broken foot in a boot. She shook it off as a silly move that she learned not to do anymore.

She was forthcoming about the time she spent at Edison High School. She was proud of her high school and spoke happily of being from New Jersey. The second time I met her she came up to my table and said hello and we had some light fun small talk that was very enjoyable. Susan is a tremendous actress that has plenty of pride that she’s from New Jersey.

Christopher Smith/Invision/AP

Jane Krakowski

Jane attended Parsippany High School and Rutgers in New Brunswick. She is a versatile actress with lots of theater, television and movie credits to her portfolio. I had the pleasure of meeting Jane at her taping of Saturday Night Live when she was part of a reunion for the show 30 Rock.

At the after party, we shared a high-top table with a couple of others, and I had so much fun listening to her stories. She was very welcoming, took an interest in what I did, and we talked about New Jersey, it was a great time. Jane is a very attractive woman that doesn’t look anything close to her age.

John Salangsang/Invision/AP

Queen Latifah

She is one of the most giving and receptive people in show business. I met her a few times, but my favorite was when I was hosting a charity event and she was being honored. She teased me because I didn’t play her music on my show.

It was great banter between us, and it put the attendees in a place where we raised big money for charity. There are countless stories of her above and beyond interaction with her fans and I know personally there are many causes that she supports that you don’t hear about. I remain a big fan.

New Jersey continues to have some incredible talent that not only entertains us here in the Great Garden State but all over the world. I am proud of these fine women and their talent, many who give back to our community. Thank you ladies.