Award Winning Activism

Tonight, Hollywood rolls out the red carpet for the annual Academy Awards.  Jon Stewart will host some of the biggest names in Hollywood as they celebrate the cinematic achievements of the past year. Many of these stars aren't only terrific actors, they are also passionate Democratic and humanitarian activists.  Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Jane Fonda, Paul Newman, and many others were trailblazers, using their high profile celebrity status to bring attention to countless issues such as civil rights, labor rights, the environment, and more. Their activism has inspired a new generation of Hollywood stars to get involved and make a difference.  Today, we highlight and honor their activism and celebrate a new generation of blossoming activists.

Leading Men

If there were a leading man category for celebrity activism, Brad Pitt would certainly be nominated in 2008. In an effort to draw media attention to New Orleans, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made New Orleans their home and he launched the Make It Right Project:

He began by working with Global Green to sponsor an architecture competition aimed at generating ideas about how to rebuild sustainably. Pitt worked with local community leaders as well as experts from around the world to develop viable ideas for the Lower 9th Ward. That successful project inspired Pitt's new focus: Make It Right.

The Mission of Make It Right is clear: It is to be a catalyst for redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood comprised of safe and healthy homes that are inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking, with an emphasis on a high quality of design, while preserving the spirit of the community's culture. The goal is to accomplish this quickly, so that the first residents can begin returning to their homes as soon as possible.

As of today, 79 of the planned 150 homes have been sponsored through his foundation, with the sticker price for each home at a modest $150,000.  These won't be just any homes..... they will be cutting edge in efficiency and sustainability, reducing energy costs by an average of 65%.  

Pitt's buddy, George Clooney, continues his social activism.  Last month he was named as a United Nations "messenger of peace" for his continued work to end the genocide in Darfur.  Clooney, along with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub, formed a foundation called the Not On Our Watch Project, whose primary focus is to stop the crisis in Darfur.  Like many activists, his passion translates to the big screen with indie hits such as Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana, and Michael Clayton - which is up for 8 Oscars tonight.

Multiple Oscar nominee (in previous years), Leonardo DiCaprio, has also been busy this year. Aside from producing, co-writing, and narrating the global warming documentary The 11th Hour, he is also producing a series called Eco-Town:

Leonardo is producing a new television series, tentatively titled "Eco-Town" for Discovery Networks. The series is based on the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas, a midwestern farm town that was devastated by a powerful Tornado on May 4th of this year. Greensburg will be rebuilt as a sustainable community, a model of green living that will restore a community of 1500 people, protect the town from future environmental disasters, and serve as a model to the rest of the world of intelligent design. "Eco-Town" is currently being filmed and will air sometime in 2008.

Leading Ladies

Not to be outdone by her leading man, Oscar winning actress, Angelina Jolie has continued her humanitarian work as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador - recently visiting Baghdad to draw attention to the millions of Iraqis who have been forced to flee as refugees since the Iraq war started.  She continues to help bring attention (and money) to the plight of New Orleans residents, with a particular focus on the 46,000 children who were displaced after Katrina and Rita. Not satisfied to only lend her name and spotlight to these organizations, it is estimated that 1/3 of her total income is donated to charity.

Harvard graduate and Oscar nominee, Natalie Portman, has been a worldwide advocate of micro-financing, specifically working with FINCA International for the last 4 years. FINCA is a non-profit that provides financial services to the poor. Last fall she spoke with students at Stanford University about the FINCA mission:

Portman explained how FINCA works: It sets up “village banks” in remote areas to serve poor populations. A bank can be established with $5,000. A group of residents, usually women, sets up the bank’s governance, deciding who should receive loans and using social pressure and support to make the system work. FINCA’s clients repay their loans at a rate of 97 percent.
FINCA now serves more than half a million clients around the world. In several countries – including Mexico, Ecuador and Azerbaijan – it has more than 50,000 clients. The group is hoping to expand into new countries and reach 1 million people by 2010.

Two-time Oscar winner, Hillary Swank is another active leading lady. She has been an advocate for women's rights and labor issues, most recently hosting a UNICEF Cinema for Peace festival in Berlin and lending her support to the UNIFEM Say No to Violence against Women Campaign. Swank's activist nature has also translated to film, recently starring in Freedom Writers, Iron Jawed Angels, and the upcoming biopic on on well-known women's advocate and aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart.  Swank's passion for women's rights are shared by Oscar winning actress, Nicole Kidman, who is also a UNIFEM goodwill amabassador and she served as Co-Chair of the Cinema for Peace Festival. She has worked extensively to end violence against women around the world.

Hollywood starlet and infamous Kentucky basketball fan (not everyone can be perfect), Ashley Judd has dedicated a great deal of her time, energy, passion, and money over the last decade as a YouthAIDS global ambassador - raising AIDS awareness around the world.  Last year, she traveled to India and made a documentary on the AIDS epidemic sweeping India:

Actress and activist Ashley Judd has traveled to brothels in Mumbai, truck stops in Jaipur and affluent communities of Delhi to document the AIDS epidemic in India.

The result: 75 hours of raw footage, compressed into 45 minutes for “India’s Hidden Plague,” a forthcoming National Geographic documentary. The goal: to put a face on the millions of Indians living with HIV-AIDS.

There is also a new crop of actor-activists sprouting up who are not content to only use their status to get behind the velvet rope in the hottest clubs. Ugly Betty's America Ferrara has been on the campaign trail with Hillary and was recently named as a Latina Leader in Entertainment by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Spiderman star, Tobey Maguire, has advocated for several environmental causes and has joined a growing list of Hollywood supporters for Barack Obama. Comedians George Lopez and Paul Rodriguez have also been turning up at Barack Obama campaign stops.  

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere wasted not a single moment of her new-found fame as she immediately began using her celebrity status to promote various humanitarian, political, and environmental causes. Most recently trying to stop the whale hunts:

Above and beyond her acting career, Panettiere will be leading a rally against a resumption of commercial whaling at 1pm this Sunday, January 27th in Washington D.C.’s Dupont Circle.  She’ll also be speaking with policymakers and students to encourage increased whale protection.

She told press, “Whales face increasing threats from climate change, ship strikes, entanglement in nets, and chemical and noise pollution, yet Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to kill them in increasing numbers.  I am looking forward to talking with officials who actually make and carry out our policies, as well as fellow young people who will be voting in the upcoming election—I want our voice to be heard.”

The rightwing likes to make fun of the "Hollywood liberal elite."  They rail against them on the campaign trail and use the backlash to fundraise for their own selfish goals. But, Hollywood - like reality - have a well-known liberal bias and we would do well to pause every now and again to applaud these actors for their hard work and dedication to their off-screen projects.  So, how about a well-deserved round of applause for the leading men and women listed above --- and to all the rest who flex their celebrity muscle to make this world a better place.

There are dozens more who were left off the list due to time and space constraints.  So, help fill in the list......who would you nominate for award winning activism?