Celebrities are no slouch when it comes to using their fame to support their favorite causes. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie regularly top annual lists of the world’s most generous stars. However, some famous faces are so inspired – often by a specific role or event in their own lives – that they take it a step further and start their own charities. We take a look at some of these generous actors and TV stars, both in New Zealand and abroad, who have gone that extra mile to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Mike King has long been a mental health advocate.
Mike King
His own struggles with depression, drugs and alcohol inspired New Zealand comedian Mike King to give up a successful career on stage and screen (Mike King Tonight) in favor of better mental health services. Recently back on television, he competes on Celebrity Treasure Island alongside his daughter Alex and is the founder of I Am Hope, a registered charity of the Key To Life Charitable Trust that works to increase suicide prevention outreach. King was named New Zealander of the Year in 2019 for his work and was also made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit – the latter he returned in 2021 in protest at the lack of progress in improving the mental health system.
CONTINUE READING:
* Celebrity Treasure Island contestants make it personal
* Ashton Kutcher trolls Mila Kunis as revenge for “bullying” him over his French accent
* Mother refuses counseling for postnatal depression wants better mental health support
Mariska Hargitay
Her role as Law & Order: SVU’s Detective Olivia Benson had a profound impact on Hargitay. What she learned about sexual abuse while preparing for the role, combined with the fan letters she received from women who had suffered abuse, prompted her to take action. The result is the Joyful Heart Foundation, which aims to educate and empower victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. One of the organization’s greatest accomplishments was Hargitay speaking before Congress to enact rape kit reform and clear the backlog of cases.
Michael J Fox
When Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, the ‘Bundles of Family’ and ‘Back to the Future’ star took a negative and turned it into a positive, creating the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise awareness and help , to fund research to help find a cure for the disease. In 2016, the foundation launched a raffle to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and raised $6.75 million.
Keanu Reeves
The speed actor reportedly donated around 70 percent of his salary from the 1999 film The Matrix to help find a cure for leukemia. The donation was made while his younger sister Kim was battling blood cancer for years. She went into remission in 2001. “Money is the last thing on my mind,” he said. “I could live on what I’ve already done for the next few centuries.”
Kit Harington
The help that British charity Mencap gave to his learning disabled cousin Laurent made the Game Of Thrones star a supporter of the charity. When GOT fans set up a donation page for the actor in 2019 as he was undergoing treatment for “wellness issues,” Harington donated the money raised to the charity. “This donation page touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. What a lovely gift… how generous of you all,” the actor said. “Mencap really is a wonderful charity and the money donated here goes to the most incredible cause. With love and respect from beyond the wall… Kit x.”
Willy Sanjuan/Getty Images
Seth Rogen and his family help raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease.
Seth Rogen
The Long Shot star appeared on American game show The Price Is Right in 2019 to raise awareness and funds for the charity Hilarity for Charity. The company he founded with his actress Lauren Miller (Superbad) aims to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The couple founded the organization in 2012 after Miller’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Girl Amick
When her son Sylvester was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a college student in 2011, the Riverdale star and her family turned to the National Alliance on Mental Illness as a “resource.” Three years later, Amick became a vocal advocate for the charity. “I always look forward to every NAMI event,” she said. “The supportive community is a must in the recovery of people with mental illness and the loved ones who support them.”
Hugh Jackman
The Australian X-Men star started Laughing Man Coffee in 2011 after a World Vision trip to Ethiopia, where he met a fair trade coffee farmer. All profits from Laughing Man’s cafes and coffee sales go towards supporting educational programs, community development and social entrepreneurs around the world.
Christopher Jue/Getty Images
Leonardo DiCaprio is deeply involved in environmental issues.
Leonardo DiCaprio
This player takes climate change very seriously. He is a UN Climate Ambassador of Peace and his charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, has been protecting the world’s oceans, wildlife, forests and more since 1998. The charity runs a variety of initiatives around the world, making millions of dollars in grants to support “the long-term health and well-being of all who live on earth,” and uses social media to raise awareness of a variety of important environmental issues.
Shayna Blaze
Block Australia judge and Selling Homes Australia designer Blaze runs the family violence charity Voice Of Change and earned nearly $500,000 for the organization by winning Celebrity Apprentice Australia last year. “I haven’t had the best of times in a lot of relationships, but I don’t define myself by what was done to me,” she said at the time, revealing that she had personally experienced domestic violence in her past.
Gary Sinise
The CSI: NY and 13 Reasons Why star has been helping veterans and active duty Soldiers and Soldiers for almost as long as he’s been acting on screen. He established his own foundation in 2011 after years of visiting the troops and supporting initiatives to support them. The Gary Sinise Foundation has launched campaigns to feed homeless vets, build smart homes for wounded soldiers, and provide financial support to America’s firefighters, police departments, and other first responders.
Matthew McConaughey
Through their Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, Texas actor McConaughey and his wife Camila have helped more than 10,000 at-risk youth in inner-city schools transform their lives. The initiative aims to empower high school students by giving them the tools to live active lives and make healthy choices for a brighter future. “Just Keep Livin’ is something that came to my mind just a few days after my father died in 1992,” says the True Detective star. “As I try to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer physically here, I firmly believe that I can still have a spiritual relationship with him if I just keep his spirit alive.”
Comments are closed.