15 Actors who are also social activists

Being a big name in the acting business also brings with it an abundance of fame and power. And as said in the Spider-Man movie, 'With great power, comes great responsibility,' these famous actors decided to raise their voices about socially prevalent issues and use the platform provided to them to do what was right. These celebrities used their influence to bring attention to social injustices prevalent all around us and actively strived for change. Whether by contributing money or communicating and spreading awareness, they diligently do their part. Here is a list of 15 actors who are also social activists.

15) Constance Wu

Actress Constance Wu, especially popular for her role in the hit romcom film Crazy Rich Asians, is an actress who has been quite vocal about a number of social issues. She has raised her voice against racial and gender discrimination and abuse faced by women during the #metoo movement. She has worked towards spreading awareness, particularly about domestic abuse, and in fact is also an active member in mental health campaigns.

14) America Ferrera

America Ferrera is another successful name from Hollywood and is very socially conscious. She has a society named Harness to counter the prevalence of Latinx community underrepresentation. She advocates immigrant rights and gained quite a lot of popularity when she participated in the 2017 Women’s March. Besides immigration issues, she also spreads awareness about body positivity and is known for her sharp criticism of unrealistic beauty standards set by media.

13) Shailene Woodley

The famous Divergent and Fault in Our Stars actress, Shailene Woodley, like the characters she portrays, prefers standing up against injustice. She is a big environmental activist and runs a nonprofit organization by the name of All it Takes. This organization is all about spreading awareness about environmental concerns and bringing about a change in communities. She is a critic of consumerism and is particularly passionate about marine and ocean conservation.

12) Viola Davis

Viola Davis became a household name with her hit role in the series How to Get Away With Murder. She has utilized the platform given to her to spread awareness about racial discrimination prevalent in society to this day. Besides this, she has also been vocal about childhood poverty problems. Having gone through this problem herself, she is quite sympathetic about the issue and collaborates with societies frequently that aim to eradicate poverty amongst young kids.

11) Matt Damon

Matt Damon is one of the greatest actors of Hollywood. His career has been filled with iconic films, but that didn’t make him lose his humbleness and sympathy. He is a supporter and encourager of promoting education amongst underprivileged communities and has worked with many societies, like the ONE Campaign, to combat these problems. He also realized the problem climate change can pose and actively tries to spread awareness about it.

10) Matthew McConaughey

The loved and respected Matthew McConaughey is another dedicated activist. Together with his wife, he runs the foundation Just Keep Living, which advocates education and health in youth. He is also vocal about gun safety rules and has famously delivered a speech regarding the same in the White House in 2022. He actively helps victims of natural disasters like hurricanes in his home state of Texas and frequently organizes relief drives.

9) Reese Witherspoon

The famous actress and producer, Reese Witherspoon, is an active force when it comes to issues regarding women’s empowerment. For a long time she has been an advocate of gender equality and has even started an initiative called 'Time's Up' for the same, which is a movement to stand against harassment and discrimination faced by women in different places. Her production company, Hello Sunshine, is inspired by her principles in life and famously produces stories that focus on women.

8) Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a popular name in Hollywood. She has a long and successful career spanning acting as well as singing. In the year 2015, she launched an organization known as The Happy Hippie Foundation, which focuses on taking a stand against injustice done to the LGBTQ+ community. She is also quite passionate about the cause of spreading awareness and helping people facing homelessness. In fact, during one of the award functions, she brought a homeless person with her to the function. She even tries to spread messages about social causes through her songs, like 'Wake Up America.’

7) George Clooney

George Clooney has had a successful career in Hollywood, which has given him a strong platform. Together with his wife, Amal Clooney, who is an advocate, they have constantly taken a stand for supporting refugees and immigrants and have donated funds to UNICEF for their welfare. They have an organization called the Clooney Foundation for Justice. Through this organization they help bring justice to human rights abuses. They have also actively helped victims of disasters, like in 2010, when they raised millions for the earthquake relief fund in Haiti.

6) Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga started her career with singing and then moved on to acting. She has been a part of some famous films and is quite popular with the audience. She is very vocal about LGBTQ+ rights and has not only started a foundation for the cause, but also expressed this issue through her songs. She believes in youth empowerment and wants to instill awareness among people regarding sexual assault and often draws on her own experience of the same to help the survivors. She has raised over $127 million for helping people with Covid 19 and has partnered with WHO for the same.

5) Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez has recently become a billionaire. She has had a great career with acting, singing, and then in business with her makeup brand called Rare Beauty. She has always been quite vocal about mental health issues, especially anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Having gone through these disorders herself, she understands the toll they take on one's well-being and has started a Rare Impact Fund through her beauty brand and has managed to raise over a hundred million for the same.

4) Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is another singer-turned-actor who has used her platform for social benefits. She has been quite socially active to support the Latino community. She has donated millions to disaster relief funds in Puerto Rico. She supports children's health and spreads awareness about improving access to the medical care. Together with her sister, she has started the Lopez Family Foundation, through which they help children access healthcare throughout the world.

3) Emma Watson

Emma Watson was a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for 2014. During this period she launched the famous HeforShe campaign through which she spreads awareness about the importance of men advocating for gender equality. Her speech at the UN has received a lot of attention and is appreciated worldwide. She has visited countries like Bangladesh and Zambia to promote education for girls and is also vocal about sustainable fashion. She is a member of the board for a luxury brand known as Kering, which focuses on environmentally friendly fashion.

2) Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest stars of Hollywood. And she has successfully used her platform to spread awareness about a number of social issues. She has been a UNHCR goodwill ambassador since 2001 and has also been a special envoy for the same with her extensive fieldwork up until 2022. She has visited countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, and Yemen and worked to help refugees in these conflict zones. Together with her children, she has started the Maddox Jolie–Pitt Foundation, which supports living conditions and environmental protection in Cambodia.

1) Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has had quite a successful career in Hollywood. Every movie that he works on turns out to be a commercial success. It is a fact well known that he is quite passionate about environmental issues. Back in 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which actively works for environmental conservation and for protecting endangered species. His foundation has worked on over 200 projects in 50+ countries. He is the United Nations Messenger of Peace for climate change and has given a lot of speeches about the same. He has narrated and worked in a lot of documentaries to spread awareness about this issue and has donated millions to wildlife conservation.