Front Row recently debuted a new series as editorial assistant Kate Rosen transforms into “Green Room Kate.” While using her alter ego, Kate roams the studios, hallways, green rooms and other ESPN campus hot spots as celebrities, athletes and newsmakers visit the Bristol, Conn. campus. The series continues today as Green Room Kate spends the day with “Entourage” star Jerry Ferrara, also known as “Turtle” in the HBO series-turned-movie, during his Wednesday visit to promote the June 3 U.S. premiere of the film version.
A huge sports fan, Ferrara was ecstatic to return to the ESPN campus – this is fourth consecutive year visiting Bristol. He was often asked to name his ultimate sports entourage; Ferrara would roll with Babe Ruth (“I feel like Babe Ruth knew how to party”), Michael Jordan (“He would be our [“Entourage” character] Vince”); Kobe Bryant (“For sure”) and Michael Strahan (“Versatile, a man who wears many hats.”)
The star answered similar sports questions like his athlete crush (Steph Curry) and what sport he wishes he was great at (football: “Maybe I could be a placeholder.”)
Ferrara gave some behind-the-scenes info from the “Entourage” set, discussing how much fun Patriots tight Rob Gronkowski had making a cameo, who was supposed to shoot one day and ended up staying all week, making himself busy by finding a job in the crew and serving soup to people on set.
Follow his day in pictures:
9:03 a.m.: Jerry Ferrara arrives on ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus.
9:21 a.m.: Ferrara takes a moment to check out ESPN’s quote wall outside the SportsCenter studio.
Talking FIFA scandal with Turtle in the green room. Surreality of the day has gone 360.
— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) May 27, 2015
9:26 a.m.: Ferrara talked FIFA news in the Green Room with Bob Ley, making the Outside the Lines host’s day interesting on and off air.
9:29 a.m.: First Take host Cari Champion also made an appearance in the Green Room, greeting her future guest a couple hours early.
9:46 a.m.: Ferrara meets anchors Kevin Negandhi and Jaymee Sire on “our spaceship,” the SportsCenter set Negandhi was referencing which has been updated since the actor’s last visit.
10:17 a.m.: #Redes co-host Alfredo Lomelí played a game with the actor where he had to choose one image over the other, giving him a tough choice between stars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Ferrara went with JLo since “she won my heart on ‘Living Color.'”
10:25 a.m.: Ferrara ran into Bruce Bowen in the ESPN hallways before the NBA analyst went out to work on his golf swing.
10:49 a.m.: Ferrara memorizes some lines introducing a segment on his favorite entourage in sports, which the actor nailed perfectly in one take.
11:36 a.m.: Ferrara joins NFL commentators Ed Werder and Mark Brunell in the Green Room outside of SportsCenter before his next spot.
11:47 a.m.: Ferrara catches some (very) live SportsCenter before it’s time to tape his second segment of the day.
12:25 p.m.: Back in the ESPN Talent Producers’ office, the “Entourage” star watches a clip of himself in the film, which aired on His & Hers as his introduction right before he heads to the set.
12:55 p.m.: Milwaukee Bucks star Jared Dudley, who was also on an ESPN Car Wash, asked Ferrara to snap a pic as they crossed paths.
