We were BACK on the red carpet of the 9th Annual California Hall of Fame. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the California Museum, TheArnoldFans claimed our usual spot on the red carpet to speak with some of the Golden’s State's legends/descendants and talk about fitness, Schwarzenegger and the beauty of the great state of California.
The California Hall of Fame celebrates residents of the state who embody California’s spirit of innovation and achievement and have made a mark on history. The ninth class of inductees into the California Hall of Fame includes Robert Downey Jr, David Hockney, Lester Holt, Bruce Lee, Ellen Ochoa, Buck Owens, Charles M. Schulz and Kristi Yamaguchi.
Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and First Lady Anne Gust Brown walked the red carpet and stopped for TheArnoldFans to answer what he felt was Governor Schwarzenegger’s best contribution as the 38th Governor of California.
“His (Arnold’s) best contribution, without a doubt,” Governor Brown began,“was his contribution on climate change and his willingness to sign the Global Solutions Act and to speak in California and throughout the world. He gave us the thrust that I continue today in California and because of that, we’re the leading state in province dealing with this profound challenge of climate change.”
We also talked fitness with the very athletic Kristi Yamaguchi, the Olympic figure skater from California. We talked about Governor Schwarzenegger’s fitness crusade and we wanted to know how much of a role that fitness continues to play for this athlete.
“Yes, physical fitness has always been a huge part of my life,” says Yamaguchi. "I trained like an athlete for most of my life, but as a mom, I’ve taken the back seat. But now I’m trying to stay fit. I feel better, I’m more alert and everything when I know I’m taking care of myself. I think it is something that we need to reflect on, to take notice and to continue to encourage our kids to be as ACTIVE as possible.”
Inductee Robert Downey Jr. earlier told TheArnoldFans about his time in the gym and if he has fitness role models.
“I tend to do a lot of strength training for the Marvel pictures,” Downey Jr tells TheArnoldFans. “But more just to not look like Olive Oyl next to all of the other studs. I wouldn't know that I have any? I do have a great trainer, named Brad Bose, a great martial arts instructor named Eric Oram, and I also train with the Tracy Anderson system. But that's more Susan's (my wife’s) field of expertise.”
Jean Schultz, wife of the California museum’s inductee Charles M. Schultz, answered our questions including what Charles loved most about California.
“The very relaxed atmosphere,” says Jean Schultz. “Because I think, well, not that Minnesota is a stuffy state, but California and where he lived here in Sebastopol, where he moved and settled, nobody knew who he was. He was just another dad coaching baseball. It’s such a big state and has so many stars, that it was a good way to be anonymous and not have to be concerned about other things that are happening.”
As a life-long Peanuts fan, it was a great honor to speak with Jean Schultz and to tell her that I take a photo EVERY year with my son on my lap with “The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” playing on the screen behind us.
We asked Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, what she felt Bruce would have thought about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s physique. Bruce Lee was fit and muscular but would Lee have felt Arnold was freakish or admired?
“I think he would have admired it," says Shannon Lee. “For him (Bruce), the reason his physique was as it was, was because he trained for function as a martial artist who needed to be quick and powerful at the same time. So he aimed his training toward the type of body he had, however, he was very knowledgeable about the human body and about kinesiology and biomechanics so I think he would have found Arnold’s training very fascinating.”
For more information on the California Hall of Fame and the California Museum, click HERE!