You may idolize them for their acting skills, but so many Hollywood stars do more than just act. Here are eight actors and actresses who stand out among the stars for their philanthropic tendencies.
Angelina Jolie
She may be a world-renowned actress, but Angelina Jolie is just as famous for her philanthropic lifestyle. Jolie has devoted much time and money during her life to help causes she holds dear such as refugee relief, violence and sexual abuse and women’s rights. She and ex-spouse Brad Pitt started the Jolie-Pitt Foundation over a decade ago, which helped establish a center in Ethiopia for children affected with HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis. Additionally, she has been a special envoy to the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees since 2012. Just as recently as January of this year, Jolie met with the NATO secretary general and then held a press conference in Belgium about the prevention and awareness of sexual violence against women in conflict areas. To make her even more of a global citizen, she has adopted children from orphanages in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam.
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Emma Watson
Emma Watson is so focused on helping others that she chose to forego plans to study gender and took a year to focus on personal developments, such as her HeForShe campaign, which aims to promote gender equality on campus. In 2016, she gave a report to the 71st United Nations General Assembly with a list of ten universities that have pledged to support her mission. Recently, Watson brought the Time’s Up campaign to the United Kingdom through a video shown at the British Academy Film Awards. “This is about women standing shoulder to shoulder, women and men across all workplaces,” she said, and provided a link for donations. Watson of course has donated her own earnings to various causes, such as her $1 million contribution to the UK Justice and Equality fun in mid February of this year.
Ian Somerhalder
The Vampire Diaries actor started his own foundation, The Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which is dedicated to environmental conservation, green energy development and education. He was part of the Showtime documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously, which sent him and other celebrities to report on climate change stories around the globe. He hosted the inaugural ball for The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws, a dog parade that occurs a week after Mardi Gras. The parade and ball benefited his foundation as well as Scott’s Wish, an organization that provides aid for children fighting leukemia and other potentially illnesses.
Sandra Bullock
The sweet story about Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock is that she has donated millions of dollars quietly for years. This revelation came after Bullock, who has a home in Austin, Texas, donated $1 million to Hurricane Harvey victims. It is reported that she has donated a whopping $5 million to the American Red Cross for domestic and international causes since 2001.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Similarly to Bullock, DiCaprio made a $1 million contribution to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief through the United Way Harvey Recovery Fund. Unsurprisingly, his charitable efforts do not stop there. DiCaprio has his own foundation, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). Established in 1998, LDF helps to protect the world’s suffering wildlife. At its gala last year, LDF raised over $40 million which all went to helping protect the earth’s environment. In late 2017, DiCaprio announced he would also donate $20 million to climate change charities. Furthermore, Dicaprio sits on or has been a member of the boards of many pro-environment organizations such as World Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Counsel, Global Green USA, and and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Eva Longoria
Actress Eva Longoria created the Eva Longoria Foundation in 2012 to help Latinas build better futures for themselves through education and entrepreneurship. She also co-founded Eva’s Heroes, a nonprofit that benefits children with disabilities. On top of her two organizations, she serves as spokesperson for Padres Contra al Cancer, which helps Latino families with children who have been struck by cancer. If these were not enough to exemplify her philanthropic goals, Longoria also sits on the board of an organization that protect the rights of Latinos in America. She works year-round to support and host the Global Gift Gala, the main event of the Global Gift Platform, which brings celebrities from around the world together to support various different charities. Late last year, she made waves with the Novartis #KissThis4MBC campaign, at which she surprised fans in NYC’s Washington Square Park and urged them to support the prevention and early detection of breast cancer.
Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne may be an Oscar-winning actor, but he does not forget what it is like to be a performer struggling to land roles and pay rent. He has been known to answer fan mail and donate money for their rent or schooling. Redmayne is also an advocate for motor neuron disease, and has actively supported the Motor Neuron Disease Association of the UK. He even urged fans to donate in his name for his birthday in early January. Alongside other actors, Redmayne helped The Disasters Emergency Committee raise $30 million in a week to help East African hunger initiatives.
Katherine Heigl
Something not as popularly supported is organ donation, and this is what actress Katherine Heigl is all about. After losing her brother, Jason, in a car accident in the 1980’s and donating his organs, she has been a strong advocate for the practice ever since. In 2008, Heigl along with her mother, Nancy, founded the Jason Debrus Heigl Foundation with a mission to end animal cruelty and find loving homes for them, honoring her late brother’s compassion and love of animals.
Are you a fan of any of the above-mentioned stars or maybe identify with their organizations? You can join their cause and help out! If you are interested in other celebrity campaigns, here are some more actors with notable charities and philanthropic organizations:
Matt Damon
Water.org – brings safe water and sanitation to people around the world.
Mariska Hargitay
Joyful Heart Foundation – helps survivors of sexual and domestic violence and child abuse get back on their feet as well as change the world’s response to this violence.
Hugh Jackman
Laughing Man Foundation – brings children around the world education about product values, market-based solutions and social entrepreneurship.
Don Cheadle
Not On Our Watch – a nonprofit that supports global human rights and advocates for groups not given a voice. It currently focuses on people of conflict in Burma, Darfur and Zimbabwe.
Bette Midler
New York Restoration Project – creates green spaces un overlooked communities throughout NYC.
Cover photo by Unsplash.com