Several episodes in the third season of the popular 1990's television show, The Adventures of Pete & Pete were filmed in Cranford. One episode was shot at Cranford's Orange Avenue Pool and another at Cranford High School and Brookside Avenue School. Cranford is the setting of the 2005 film, Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. Portions of the films Garden State, Far from Heaven and September 12 were shot in Cranford. Also, Cranford was seen in the opening credits of the TV show, Ed.

Tom Colicchio, restaurateur, chef, and judge on reality-TV program Top Chef and Michael Chertoff, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, were born and raised in Elizabeth.

Gerry Cooney, the boxer, is from Fanwood. Phil Rizzuto, Baseball Hall of Famer and Yankee Radio Announcer was a lifelong resident of Hillside.

In the 1985 film Brewster's Millions, Richard Pryor portrayed an aging minor league baseball pitcher whose team gets into a bar fight in Plainfield.

Carl Sagan (1934-1996), Astronomer, lived in Rahway and was a Rahway High School graduate. Sagan has his own display case in the library on the second floor.

John's Meat Market in Scotch Plains is the site of Mr. T's reality TV show for TV Land.

The first store in the world to be lit by electric light was Stone's Store on Westfield Avenue in Roselle Park, lit by Thomas Edison's carbon filament prototype.

Meryl Streep, actress, was born in Summit and actor Ray Liotta was raised in Union and attended Union High School.

The TV show Ed was partially filmed in Westfield's downtown, which served as the basis for Stuckeyville's downtown. Also, the movie The Perfect Holiday was partially filmed in Downtown Westfield.

Dr. Virginia Apgar, a resident of Westfield (1909-1974), was the creator of the Apgar score for assessing health of newborns.