A TV and film star for decades, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a nervous disorder, in 1991. For years after, he led the controversial fight to proliferate embryonic stem cell research in the U.S. He started the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, now the world’s largest nonprofit focusing on this particular disease. In recent years, Fox publicly withdrew a bit from the stem cell battle concerning Parkison’s, claiming that other newer therapies may prove more effective in eradicating the illness.
The brassy and unforgettable film sensation of her time, Liz Taylor was a pioneer in the small chorus of voices that spoke out about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early ’80s, when many were too frightened. When her friend, film star Rock Hudson died in 1985, Taylor help kickstart The Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR), and also was a voice against the U.S. restricting visas on those inflicted with HIV. In 1991, she founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, a pillar of education and awareness for prevention.
Brooding and intense on and off screen, Penn has not kept quiet when it comes to calling for justice. When the Iraq War erupted, Penn laid down $56,000 to run a full-page ad in the Washington Post criticizing President Bush’s military invasion in an open letter. Consorting with Venezuelan and Cuban presidents Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro caused some controversy, but his humanitarian work has been fiercely benevolent: he rescued survivors after Hurricane Katrina, and spent more than a year helping rebuild Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. He got involved with the Falkland Islands conflict and advocated for same-sex marriage, proving this guy cannot be stopped.
“Hanoi Jane,” caused quite a shock wave through Hollywood in 1972 when she ventured behind enemy lines into North Vietnam. She was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft cannon and referred to the U.S. airmen bombing the country as “war criminals.” An international uproar ensued. In 1988, Fonda went on TV show “20/20” and admitted to Barbara Walters that though she was trying to protest the killing of innocent civilians, “To have put myself in a situation like that was a thoughtless and cruel thing to have done… I take full responsibility for it.” (Wellesley.edu). Later she supported ending violence against women, educating women on reproductive health to prevent teenage pregnancy, and supporting the Palestinian cause against the Israeli occupation.
Animal rights became this legendary Beatles crooner’s cause. The story goes that Paul and late wife Linda made the connection bewteen a lamb on their farm and the meat on their plate, and decided to fight for the rights of furry creatures everywhere. “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian” (About.com) was their battle cry. Linda created a bounty of vegetarian cookbooks, as well her own food company which put frozen meat-free meals in supermarket freezers. After her death, Paul and his second wife Heather Mills supported bans on trading animal fur in the E.U. and Israel, and he also backed the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The “Day-oh!” Jamaican-American singer became friends with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, and helped raise money and awareness for it. Pouring his own personal savings into events such as the Freedom Rides and the 1963 March on Washington, Belafonte was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Later he helped organize the “We Are the World” video to raise money for African children, especially in Senegal and Rwanda. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006, he became a voice for that community. He is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and the recipient of a BET Humanitarian Award.
The Hollywood wild child, Jolie channeled her unhinged, wayward Oscar-winning energy into a sophisticated drive to help refugees all over the world. Becoming an ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001, Jolie visited dozens of refugee camps in Tanzania, Syria, Bosnia, and Jordan. Concerning women’s rights, she donated a large sum to Malala Yousafzai’s fund to support education for girls in Pakistan, as well opening an all-girls primary school in Afghanistan. A friend of hurricane and tornado survivors and of gay rights, she went public with her double mastectomy to draw attention to women’s health. Jolie is a heroine for the ages.
An intensely devoted activist who sheds light on the impoverished, the Irish band U2’s front man cites Catholicism as a driving force in helping those in need. His legendary involvement in Bob Geldof’s “Live Aid” and “Band Aid” projects raised money to feed African countries. He later helped Geldof launch the “Live 8” project in 2005. Vising children in need in countries such as Ethiopia and El Salvador, Bono also helped start Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) and the ONE Project, which rallies Americans to fight AIDS and extreme poverty. He has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Jenny McCarthy has come under some harsh criticism for what some see as her radical ideas on getting rid of all forms of vaccinations for children. Inspired by the chronic sickness her son Evan endured before being diagnosed with autism, McCarthy claimed that home research led her to believe that vaccines for young children were linked to the rise of autism cases. Doctors and critics responded with contempt for her homespun analysis and public appearances.
The Hollywood golden boy of his generation, the Sexiest Man of All Time pops up quite often in the domestic and international activism realm. His work in Darfur, South Sudan, in 2006 attracted some of the most attention. He urged world leaders including Angela Merkel to take decisive action against the horrifying violence, and traveled with his father to film the TV documentary, “A Journey to Darfur.” He advocated for gay marriage, raised money for Haiti earthquake relief, and knocked on Charlton Heston for his hawkish gun-control views. World.Mic has a great list of this heartbreaker’s heartbreakingly positive impacts on the world.
