SEATTLE — While it’s no shock that actresses can earn a good deal of money throughout their careers, it may surprise some that many superstars choose to give that money back to their communities and the world. Numerous celebrities use their time and resources to become virtuous humanitarian actresses, valiantly attempting to change the world for the better. By addressing pressing issues and promoting social change and justice, a handful of famous women play integral roles in global improvement. The following are a few of the most giving and compassionate humanitarian actresses.
Five Actresses-turned-Humanitarians
1. Jami Gertz
Jami Gertz, an American actress known for her roles in the movie “Sixteen Candles” and as the main character, Judy Miller, in “Still Standing,” donates a significant amount of her time and money to charity work. Due to her generosity, the Giving Back Fund voted Miller the “Number One Donor to Charity” of any celebrity in 2010. In total, she and her husband, Antony Ressler, have donated over 10 million dollars toward programs that help improve the world.
2. Kristin Davis
Apart from starring in shows like “Melrose Place,” American actress Kristin Davis puts forth significant effort to help end world hunger. Davis served as an Oxfam Global Ambassador and during her service made several trips to Africa to help eliminate food insecurity. Davis tirelessly worked to help as many people as she could gain access to the means to feed themselves regularly.
3. Alicia Silverstone
Since playing the role of “Batgirl” in the 1997 movie “Batman & Robin,” Alicia Silverstone has since turned into a real life superhero. With her diligent fight for food sustainability and her influential website, The Kind Life, Silverstone is a key advocate for environmental and human sustainability.
4. Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on “Dallas,” has donated over 300,000 to several life-changing organizations. These donations go towards a variety of organizations, but her priorities are programs that aim to improve arts and culture, or work to promote sustainability worldwide.
5. Danai Gurira
When she’s not fighting zombies on “The Walking Dead,” Zimbabwean-American actress, Danai Gurira, can be found fighting world poverty. In 2015, she joined ONE as part of an initiative aiming to empower women and end poverty. As part of the campaign, Gurira promotes female solidarity to aid people living in poverty around the world.
Wonderful to watch both on the screen and in real life, these influential humanitarian actresses’ actions do not go unnoticed.
– Julia Hettiger
Photo: Flickr