Celebrity Activists: Angelina Jolie, America Ferrera, Leonardo DiCaprio and More

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Celebrity Activists: Angelina Jolie, America Ferrera, Leonardo DiCaprio and More

These stars are looking to use their fame and influence to make a real difference in the world. From global poverty to animal rights, celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman are using their stardom for good. Throughout her career, Jolie has made her humanitarian work a top priority, having become a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. The Maleficent actress has also instilled a sense of giving back in her six children, whom she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt. “I tell my daughters, ‘What sets you apart is what you are willing to do for others. Anyone can put on a dress and makeup. It’s your mind that will define you,’” the Salt star said in her March 2018 Elle cover story. She continued: “Find out who you are, what you think, and what you stand for. And fight for others to have those same freedoms. A life of service is worth living.” Reese Witherspoon, who was an active participant in the Times Up movement, created her own company, Hello Sunshine, in order to promote greater representation in Hollywood for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and women. “The idea is to put women at the center of the story,” Witherspoon told Vogue in January 2019. “I was sick of making movies where I was the only female lead on the set. I was sick of seeing scripts where there was one female role, badly written, and yet every actress in town wanted the part because there was nothing else.” [jwplayer vqBIaAWD-l3ahXupL] Witherspoon’s Little Fires Everywhere costar Kerry Washington championed the actress and her efforts for change, telling the magazine, “There is a lot of pressure in the world about who is supposed to care about politics, who is supposed to be in charge, who is supposed to be an activist. And Reese has given a very genteel, Southern, ladylike middle finger to all of it.” The Scandal alum added: “She is going to care about who runs the country and who has power and intersectional feminism and remain the beautiful, blonde, genteel Southern woman that she is.” Witherspoon has focused a lot of her attention on Hollywood activism while America Ferrera has used her voice to speak out about politics and commanded attention with the creation of her nonprofit, Harness. “People make decisions every single day that impact my life — the air I breathe, my ability to walk down the street and be safe, how much money I make for the job I do, whether I can choose what happens to my body,” Ferrera told Vogue in February 2019. “And at every important social moment in our history, artists have played a role. It doesn’t have to be about marching. The art itself has a role to play. At the end of the day, it’s about wielding that sword with awareness.” Mark Ruffalo has become vocal about eliminating hydraulic fracking and toxic chemicals in water sources, while Orlando Bloom and his fiancée, Katy Perry, have put children’s needs at the forefront of their work, both serving as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors. Kim Kardashian, on the other hand, has focused on prison reform, whereas Gisele Bündchen’s work involves the environment. Scroll down to see which celebrities have turned activists over the years — and what they’re fighting for. [podcast_block]

Credit: AP/Shutterstock; Trae Patton/NBC; Bauergriffin.com; Dominique Charriau/French Select/Getty Images

Celebrity Activists: Angelina Jolie, America Ferrera, Leonardo DiCaprio and More

These stars are looking to use their fame and influence to make a real difference in the world. From global poverty to animal rights, celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman are using their stardom for good. Throughout her career, Jolie has made her humanitarian work a top priority, having become a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. The Maleficent actress has also instilled a sense of giving back in her six children, whom she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt. “I tell my daughters, ‘What sets you apart is what you are willing to do for others. Anyone can put on a dress and makeup. It’s your mind that will define you,’” the Salt star said in her March 2018 Elle cover story. She continued: “Find out who you are, what you think, and what you stand for. And fight for others to have those same freedoms. A life of service is worth living.” Reese Witherspoon, who was an active participant in the Times Up movement, created her own company, Hello Sunshine, in order to promote greater representation in Hollywood for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and women. “The idea is to put women at the center of the story,” Witherspoon told Vogue in January 2019. “I was sick of making movies where I was the only female lead on the set. I was sick of seeing scripts where there was one female role, badly written, and yet every actress in town wanted the part because there was nothing else.” [jwplayer vqBIaAWD-l3ahXupL] Witherspoon’s Little Fires Everywhere costar Kerry Washington championed the actress and her efforts for change, telling the magazine, “There is a lot of pressure in the world about who is supposed to care about politics, who is supposed to be in charge, who is supposed to be an activist. And Reese has given a very genteel, Southern, ladylike middle finger to all of it.” The Scandal alum added: “She is going to care about who runs the country and who has power and intersectional feminism and remain the beautiful, blonde, genteel Southern woman that she is.” Witherspoon has focused a lot of her attention on Hollywood activism while America Ferrera has used her voice to speak out about politics and commanded attention with the creation of her nonprofit, Harness. “People make decisions every single day that impact my life — the air I breathe, my ability to walk down the street and be safe, how much money I make for the job I do, whether I can choose what happens to my body,” Ferrera told Vogue in February 2019. “And at every important social moment in our history, artists have played a role. It doesn’t have to be about marching. The art itself has a role to play. At the end of the day, it’s about wielding that sword with awareness.” Mark Ruffalo has become vocal about eliminating hydraulic fracking and toxic chemicals in water sources, while Orlando Bloom and his fiancée, Katy Perry, have put children’s needs at the forefront of their work, both serving as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors. Kim Kardashian, on the other hand, has focused on prison reform, whereas Gisele Bündchen’s work involves the environment. Scroll down to see which celebrities have turned activists over the years — and what they’re fighting for. [podcast_block]

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Shakira

The Colombian singer helps people in need all around the world. In 1997, she founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation to help her home country develop schools for children who live in poverty. In place of a baby shower registry when she was pregnant with her first child in 2012, the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and her ex Gerard Pique asked fans to donate to UNICEF. 

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Bono

The U2 frontman’s name has become synonymous with philanthropy. Since 1999, he has been a main presence in campaigning for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of problems in Africa like the AIDS pandemic. In 2002, he took a four-country tour of Africa with then-Treasury Secretary Paul H. O’Neill. In 2007, he traveled with NBC’s Brian Williams to Africa to showcase the plight of the people. The following year, he was awarded the Man of Peace prize. 

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Angelina Jolie

The Oscar winner became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001 and has traveled the globe, visiting third world countries to promote awareness ever since. Jolie has also spent years lobbying in Washington D.C., and speaking to members of Congress.

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Christina Aguilera

The former Voice coach has helped out victims in the wake of natural crises and disasters, including New Orleans residents in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, citizens of of Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, and the people of New York and New Jersey in 2012 following Hurricane Sandy. She is also a global spokesperson for World Hunger Relief, traveling to developing nations to bring awareness to malnutrition in the countries. 

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Beyonce

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the South in 2005, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing for victims in their hometown of Houston, Texas. Years later the singer was named an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day, donating her song “I Was Here” to the campaign. In 2013 the “Flawless” singer worked with other celebs in the Chime For Change campaign to promote female empowerment.

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Matt Damon

Damon created the H20 Africa Foundation in 2009. In 2014 he did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with toilet water to promote clean drinking water. He is also one of the founders of the Not On Our Watch Project, which focuses attention on mass genocides in war-torn areas like Darfur. He is also a spokesperson for Feeding America and has supported the ONE campaign, aimed at fighting AIDS and poverty.

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George Clooney

The Oscar winner works closely with the Not On Our Watch Project, which focuses on preventing mass genocides. In 2010, he organized the Hope For Haiti Now telethon for earthquake victims. In 2012, he was arrested outside of the Sudanese Embassy while protesting the conditions in Sudan, calling it the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.” 

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Mark Ruffalo

The Avengers actor founded the Water Defense organization in 2010, which tried to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York. The nonprofit is no more, but Ruffalo is still fighting against oil pipelines and fracturing for natural gas. In November 2019, he testified in Congress regarding the need for regulation of polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, the toxic chemical that is highlighted in his film Dark Waters.

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Natalie Portman

The Black Swan actress is an animal rights advocate with her own brand of vegan footwear. She also supports anti-poverty initiatives, traveling to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International. In 2011, she became an ambassador of Free the Children, an international charity, and education partner and spearheaded their Power of a Girl campaign. 

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Lena Dunham

The writer, director, and actress is a self-proclaimed feminist and longtime activist of women’s rights. She has campaigned in support of Texas Democrat Wendy Davis, talked openly about the “Free the Nipple” campaign on social media, which fights censorship, and the T-shirts for her official 2014 book tour read “Lena <3’s Planned Parenthood.” 

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Morgan Freeman

Freeman has narrated clips for global organizations like One Earth, to raise environmental awareness and lent his iconic voice to many other causes over the years. He is also an outspoken opponent of Black History Month, saying, the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it. 

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Leonardo DiCaprio

The Wolf of Wall Street actor and environmentalist has devoted time throughout his career to working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and his own organization, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. In June 2014, the foundation donated $7 million to ocean conservation, the next month DiCaprio hosted a gala that raised more than $25 million. Three months later, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

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Victoria Beckham

Working with mothers2mothers, the former Spice Girl donated 600 items from her personal closet in 2014 for an auction to raise money for the org, which strives to eliminate the transmission of HIV and AIDS between mothers and their unborn children. She has also spoken at the UN, saying, “I'm a mother, and I want to reach out and help as many women and mothers as I can. Babies should not be born with HIV."

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Emma Watson

The Harry Potter star was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014, speaking at the UN Headquarters in support of the “HeForShe” campaign. "I have realized that fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating," she said. "If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop."

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America Ferrera

The Ugly Betty alum has been actively involved in the Women’s March and spoke out about voting and getting involved in politics. In 2016, she founded Harness with her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, to give artists a space to make a political impact in their communities and change the conversation surrounding social issues in the political landscape.

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Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd

Women were front and center at the 2018 Golden Globes in Beverly Hills in January 2018, when they hit the red carpet together in solidarity. They all wore black in support of the Time’s Up moment, which helps fund legal aid for women who have been sexually abused or harassed in the workplace. Many of them also brought along inspiring female activists as their dates to raise more awareness for women’s rights and other important causes.

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Gabrielle Union

The Bring It On star has become known for speaking out against racism and sexism in the workplace. She has also become an ally to those who’ve been sexually assaulted, sharing her own story about being raped as a teenager and giving a voice to others who’ve had the same experience. The Being Mary Jane alum is also an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, supporter of the Young Survivor Coalition (YSC) and the Rape Treatment Center (RTC) at UCLA.

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Gisele Bündchen

The supermodel is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program. She is a philanthropist and environmentalist who has fought for sustainability and environmental conservation around the globe. At home, she practices the “three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle” and tries to live as green as possible. “I believe our responsibility is to take care of the earth and its natural resources,” the Brazil native told Marie Claire in March 2020. “Our survival depends on it. My goal in life is to leave the earth in a better place for future generations.”

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Kim Kardashian

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star teamed up with #cut50 cofounder, lawyer and criminal justice advocate Jessica Jackson for the Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project documentary. The Skims founder’s work with prison reform was the focus of the April 2020 documentary, which she began doing while studying to become a lawyer.

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Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed

The couple work together with the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which is focused on promoting “conservation of natural resources” and benefiting the community by providing “relief to the poor, distressed and underprivileged.” The pair also works with animals, specifically shelters and rescue efforts for dogs. Reed is an ambassador for the Humane Society of the United States and Somerhalder is an ambassador for the United Nations’ Environment Program.

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Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

The couple are both UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors — Bloom was appointed in 2009 and Perry four years later — who continually use their platform to help children. The pair had UNICEF share the news of their daughter Daisy’s arrival in August 2020 alongside a message calling for donations to help newborns and pregnant women who don’t have access to clean birthing facilities, vaccines and medicines around the world.

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Jason Momoa

The Mananalu Water founder shaved his head and used the attention-grabbing video to teach viewers about ditching single-use plastics. "I'm tired of these plastic bottles. We gotta stop [using] plastic forks, all that s--t. It just goes into our land, goes into our ocean," the Aquaman actor said via Instagram in September 2022.