Entertainers That Give Back
by americanheros | created - 26 Jun 2012 | updated - 31 Jul 2012 | Publicthis is a working list of all the entertainers that give back to their community in some way. if you know of anyone that should be added or find any information that is wrong please let me know.
1. Robin Williams
Actor | Mrs. Doubtfire
Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford ...
Williams took part in the America: A Tribute to Heroes charity telethon for victims of 9/11. many others
2. Angelina Jolie
Actress | Maleficent
Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award-winning actress who rose to fame after her role in Girl, Interrupted (1999), playing the title role in the "Lara Croft" blockbuster movies, as well as Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Wanted (2008), Salt (2010) and Maleficent (2014). Off-screen, Jolie has become ...
1. USA for UNHCR
2. Jolie has stated that she now plans to spend most of her time in humanitarian efforts, to be financed by her actress salary. She devotes one third of her income to savings, one third to living expenses and one third to charity. In 2002, Angelina adopted a Cambodian refugee boy named Maddox and in 2005 adopted an Ethiopian refugee girl named Zahara
Doctors Without Borders
Global Action for Children
3. Lady Gaga
Soundtrack | A Star Is Born
Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer and fashion designer.
Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 in Manhattan, New York City, to Cynthia Louise (Bissett), a philanthropist and business executive, and Joseph Anthony ...
Gaga partnered with Virgin Mobile on her Monster Ball national tour offering premium VIP tickets to fans who volunteer their time to homeless youth organizations, which raised more than $80,000 in proceeds to support homeless youth, and generated 30,000 hours of community service for hundreds of charities across the country.
4. Eva Longoria
Actress | Desperate Housewives
Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born on March 15, 1975 in Corpus Christi, Texas to Ella Eva Longoria (née Mireles), a special education teacher & Enrique Longoria Jr., a rancher. The youngest of four sisters who grew up in a Mexican-American family on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Longoria attended ...
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Kids Wish Network Make-A-Wish Foundation National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
5. Brad Pitt
Actor | Fight Club
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri to Jane Etta Pitt (née Hillhouse), a school counselor & William Alvin "Bill" Pitt, a truck company manager. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student ...
African Children's Choir Care to Learn Jolie-Pitt Foundation Right To Play
6. Miley Cyrus
Soundtrack | Hannah Montana
Miley Ray Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992 in Franklin, Tennessee and raised in Thompson's Station, Tennessee to Tish Cyrus & Billy Ray Cyrus. She has five siblings - two half-brothers, a half-sister, and a younger brother and sister. Her parents named her because they hoped ...
Habitat For Humanity Make-A-Wish Foundation Red Cross many others
7. Rocky Stone
Writer | Kidz Care
Rocky began in the early 1980s as a stage actor/comedian.
On October 15th of 1994, one week before his 23rd birthday, he became an Independent Talent Agent. After the first few months, he wasn't really sure if this was what he really wanted to do, as he had no previous experience at that point as an...
From 2002 to 2011, he collected a total of 13,057 toys, which were given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign. The Toy Mountain Campaign is hosted each year by CFTR-AM, CFTO-TV and the Salvation Army.
8. Ben Savage
Actor | Boy Meets World
Bennett "Ben" Joseph Savage was born on September 13th, 1980, in Chicago, Illinois. Ben got his start in acting when he appeared in his first commercial at the tender age of 5. From there, his first major speaking role was in the comedy series, Dear John (1988), opposite Judd Hirsch and fellow ...
Volunteers for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
He donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less-fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.
9. Seth Green
Actor | Robot Chicken
Seth Green has starred in numerous films and television series including the Austin Powers trilogy, The Italian Job (2003), Without a Paddle (2004), Party Monster (2003), Can't Hardly Wait (1998), Old Dogs (2009) and dozens more, including starring roles in Sexy Evil Genius (2013), The Story of Luke...
Seth Green has supported the following charities: Amnesty International Doctors Without Borders Habitat For Humanity
10. Kim Kardashian
Actress | Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
TV star, entrepreneur, fashion designer, and author (New York Times best-seller - "Kardashian Konfidential"), Kim Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, to Kris Jenner (née Kristen Mary Houghton) and attorney Robert Kardashian. Her father was of Armenian descent and her mother is of mostly...
Kim Kardashian has supported the following charities:
American Foundation for AIDS Research
Dream Foundation
11. Jennifer Love Hewitt
Actress | I Know What You Did Last Summer
Jennifer Love Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, to Patricia Mae (Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician. She has English, Italian, French, Scottish, and German ancestry. She got her first name from her older brother Todd Daniel Hewitt (b. November 8, ...
Jennifer Love Hewitt has supported the following charities: Children Affected by AIDS Foundation St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
12. Jennifer Lopez
Producer | Hustlers
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York to teacher Lupe López and computer specialist David López. The two Puerto Ricans were brought to the continental United States during their childhoods and eventually met while living in New York City. Their ...
Jennifer Lopez has supported the following charities: Children's Health Fund Children's Hospital Los Angeles City of Hope
13. Cameron Diaz
Actress | Vanilla Sky
A tall, strikingly attractive blue-eyed natural blonde, Cameron Diaz was born in 1972 in San Diego, the daughter of a Cuban-American father and a German mother. Self described as "adventurous, independent and a tough kid," Cameron left home at 16 and for the next 5 years lived in such varied ...
4REAL Foundation Children's Defense Fund Racing for Kids Red Cross
14. Pamela Anderson
Actress | Barb Wire
Pamela Denise Anderson was born on July 1, 1967 in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada at 4:08 PST, to young newlywed parents, Barry Anderson and Carol Anderson. Her ancestry includes Finnish, English, Irish, and Volga German. During her childhood, she moved to the city of Vancouver. She has a ...
Feed the Children Last Chance for Animals
15. Snoop Dogg
Actor | Training Day
Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor.
His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre's solo debut, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 ...
Habitat For Humanity Save The Music Foundation Snoop Youth Football League
16. Jerry Lewis
Actor | The Nutty Professor
Jerry Lewis (born March 16, 1926 - August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team ...
March Of Dimes Muscular Dystrophy Association
17. Oprah Winfrey
Producer | The Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah Gail Winfrey , often known simply as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ...
Free The Children Oprah's Angel Network Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa Red Cross Worldwide Orphans Foundation
18. Michael J. Fox
Actor | Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Phyllis Fox (née Piper), a payroll clerk, and William Fox. His parents moved their 10-year-old son, his three sisters, Kelli Fox, Karen, and Jacki, and his brother Steven, to Vancouver, British Columbia, ...
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
19. Katie Couric
Actress | Zoolander 2
Katie Couric was born on January 7, 1957 in Arlington, Virginia, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), Sully (2016) and Shark Tale (2004). She has been married to John Molner since June 21, 2014. She was previously married to Jay Monahan.
American Cancer Society Kids Wish Network Locks Of Love
20. Rosie O'Donnell
Actress | A League of Their Own
Rosie O'Donnell was born into an Irish-American family in Commack, Long Island. She is the third of five children born to Roseann Teresa (Murtha) and Edward Joseph O'Donnell, an electrical engineer for the defense industry. Her mother died when she was 10. She said that she watched TV nearly 24 ...
Autism Speaks Rosie's Broadway Kids Rosie's For All Kids Foundation
21. Justin Bieber
Soundtrack | Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Drew Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 at St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada and was raised in Stratford, Ontario. He is the son of Pattie Mallette and Jeremy Bieber. He is of French-Canadian, Irish, German, English, and Scottish descent. He has three younger half-siblings via ...
Pencils of Promise Red Cross Usher's New Look Foundation
22. Jim Belushi
Actor | Red Heat
James Adam Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Chicago, to Agnes Demetri (Samaras) and Adam Anastos Belushi, a restaurant owner. His father was an Albanian immigrant, from Qytezë, and his mother was also of Albanian descent. The third of four children - his brother was comedian John Belushi - he ...
Safety Harbor Kids Soles4Souls
23. Corbin Bleu
Actor | High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Cobin Bleu was born Corbin Bleu Reivers on February 21, 1989 in Brooklyn, New York City, to Martha (Callari) and David Reivers, an actor. His mother is of Italian descent and his father is Jamaican.
Corbin began appearing in television commercials at the age two, for products such as Life cereal, ...
Make-A-Wish Foundation St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
24. Nancy Cartwright
Actress | The Simpsons
For over three decades, Nancy Cartwright has given voice to a spikey-headed-10-year-old boy even though she's a grown woman; she's often been arrested for truancy and vandalism, yet she maintains a spotless criminal record; and finally, she's repeated the fourth-grade dozens of times in spite of ...
Make-A-Wish Foundation
25. Courteney Cox
Actress | Friends
Courteney Cox was born on June 15th, 1964 in Birmingham, Alabama, into an affluent Southern family. She is the daughter of Courteney (Bass) and Richard Lewis Cox (1930-2001), a businessman. She was the baby of the family with two older sisters (Virginia and Dottie) and an older brother, Richard, Jr...
founded OmniPeace
26. Billy Ray Cyrus
Actor | Hannah Montana: The Movie
Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961 in Bellefonte, Kentucky, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), Mulholland Drive (2001) and The Spy Next Door (2010). He has been married to Firerose since October 10, 2023. He was previously married to Tish Cyrus and ...
Feeding America Operation Once in a Lifetime
27. Richard Meehan
Actor | True Detective
Rich grew up on Cape Cod in Eastern Massachusetts. Richard was introduced to acting during 2009 as an extra. His first speaking roles were the next year, in "My Hometown" and playing the young Brandon Routh in "Missing William." At the age of 17, Rich moved to L.A. to pursue his career full-time. ...
He has won the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold) since the age of 11. He has worked with projects like: jeans for teens, one warm coat, and toys for tots program. His father is in the military, this has lead him to work on projects that support the troops.
28. Selena Gomez
Actress | Spring Breakers
Actress and singer Selena Gomez was born on July 22, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas. She is the daughter of Mandy Teefey and Ricardo Gomez. Her mother is of part Italian ancestry, and her father is of Mexican descent. She was named after Tejano singer Selena, who died in 1995.
Her first acting role ...
Ryan Seacrest Foundation St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
29. Scott Grimes
Actor | American Dad!
Scott Christopher Grimes is an American actor and singer from Lowell, Massachusetts who is known for playing as Steve Smith from American Dad, Kevin Swanson from Family Guy, Will McCorkle from Party of Five, Bradley Brown from Critters 1 and 2 and Lieutenant Gordon Malloy from The Orville. He has ...
Supports the USO, American Cancer Society, and the AIDS Research Foundation.
30. Mila Kunis
Actress | Black Swan
Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis is a Ukrainian-American actress born to a Jewish family in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.
Her mother, Elvira, is a physics teacher, her father, Mark Kunis, is a mechanical engineer, and she has an older brother named Michael. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991. ...
Chrysalis
31. Jay Leno
Producer | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films (American Hot Wax (1978)) but hit paydirt with his ...
LIVESTRONG St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
32. George Lopez
Producer | George Lopez
George Lopez was born on April 23, 1961, in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, the son of Frieda and Anatasio Lopez, a migrant worker. He is of Mestizo Mexican descent. He was deserted by his father when he was two months old and by his mother when he was 10 years old, but was raised by his ...
founded the The Lopez Foundation
33. Kellie Martin
Actress | ER
Kellie Martin is an American actress from California. She has often worked as a voice actress in animation. Her most notable roles include the amateur detective Daphne Blake in the animated series "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" (1988-1991), the nerdy daughter Rebecca "Becca" Thatcher in the drama series ...
She is the national spokesperson for Lupus, since her sister died of the disease at age 19.
34. Bryton James
Actor | The Young and the Restless
Bryton James was born on August 17, 1986 in Lakewood, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), Family Matters (1989) and Hero Factory (2010). He was previously married to Ashley Leisinger.
Received the Michael Landon Award for Charitable Work
35. Reba McEntire
Actress | Reba
Reba Nell McEntire was born on Monday, March 28th, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma. The reigning queen of country music has pursued a musical career since she was 5. In Junior High school, she performed with her musical siblings, aka the Singing McEntires. A fine athlete, Reba McEntire followed in the...
Operation Once in a Lifetime Wish Upon A Hero Foundation
36. Mitchel Musso
Actor | Monster House
Born in Garland, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Mitchel Musso began his professional acting career at the age of 8 years old
Mitchel Musso stars as responsible and anxious twin Brady, who is eager to prove his worth as king, in Disney XD's Emmy-nominated comedy series "Pair of Kings." He can also be ...
Autism Speaks
37. Dolly Parton
Soundtrack | The Porter Wagoner Show
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee and raised in Sevierville, Tennessee to Avie Lee Parton, a housewife & Robert Lee Parton, a tobacco farmer. At 12, she was appearing on Knoxville TV and at 13, she was already recording on a small label and appearing at ...
United Way Worldwide
She established the Imagination Library in 1995, which sends one book per month to children from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.
38. Tracey Birdsall
Actress | Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter
Tracey Birdsall was born in Van Nuys, California, the youngest of three daughters born to Ronald Birdsall and Carol Birdsall (born Carol Stone). She was raised in Southern California and is primarily of British and European descent. Bert Lewis, the famous Walt Disney composer, was her ...
In 2010, Tracey and her husband flew together on a relief mission to the less accessible airports in Haiti following the earthquake.
39. Mackenzie Rosman
Actress | 7th Heaven
Mackenzie Rosman was born on December 28, 1989 in Charleston, South Carolina. She is currently best-known for her role in the WB'S 7th Heaven (1996) as "Ruthie Camden", the angsty teen daughter of Eric and Annie. At 16, she has 10 solid years of acting experience under her belt: more than many ...
1. Contributes her free time to animal charities 2. actively involved in raising funds and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
40. Jason E. Hill
Jason E. Hill was born in New York, USA. He is known for Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), The Lone Ranger (2013) and Preacher (2016).
Jason is a supporter of the 'Make-A-Wish' foundation. He is also an animal lover and supports animal rescue charities as well
41. Fred Savage
Actor | The Wonder Years
Fred Savage was born July 9, 1976. He began acting at age 9 in a production produced by Lorimar called Morningstar/Eveningstar (1986). He was found by Roger Damon Price to play the role of Alan Bishop. During production Fred auditioned for The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) which launched Jay Underwood's...
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
42. Charlie Sheen
Actor | Two and a Half Men
Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estévez on September 3, 1965, in New York City. His father, actor Martin Sheen (born Ramon Antonio Gerard Estevez), was at the time just breaking into the business, with performances on Broadway. His mother, Janet Sheen (née Templeton), was a former New York art ...
Aid For AIDS Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorder
43. Michelle Stafford
Actress | The Young and the Restless
Two-time Emmy (R) Award-winning actress Michelle Stafford stars in the #1-rated The Young and the Restless (1973), viewed by more than 20 million people every day in some 20 countries worldwide. Michelle joined the cast of "The Young and the Restless" in 1994 and has since developed her role of "...
ALS Association H.E.L.P.
44. John Stamos
Actor | Full House
John Phillip Stamos was born in Cypress, California, to Loretta (Phillips), a model, and William Stamos, a restaurateur. His father was of Greek descent, with the family surname originally being "Stamotopoulos". John has two younger sisters, Janeen and Alaina, both school teachers. His first ...
mothers2mothers Project Cuddle Vanguard Cancer Foundation
45. Emma Stone
Actress | La La Land
Emily Jean "Emma" Stone was born on November 6, 1988 in Scottsdale, Arizona to Krista Jean Stone (née Yeager), a homemaker & Jeffrey Charles "Jeff" Stone, a contracting company founder and CEO. She is of Swedish, German & British Isles descent. Stone began acting as a child as a member of the ...
Stand Up To Cancer
46. Jennifer Stone
Actress | The In-Between
Born in a suburb in Texas, Jennifer started doing theatre at the age of six. Her favorite place to be was on the stage doing musicals and serious stage productions, even at a young age. This quickly transitioned to work in local Texas commercials, TV, and film work. Her most notable work in Texas ...
Jumpstart
47. Alyson Stoner
Actress | Phineas and Ferb
Alyson Stoner got her start as a triple threat on the Disney Channel, co-hosting "Mike's Super Short Show". By age seven, she won the hearts of an older generation as the "Little Pigtailed Dancer" in Missy Elliott's music video, Missy Elliott: Work It (2002). Since her early reign, Alyson has ...
She is a StarPower Ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
48. Henry Winkler
Actor | The Waterboy
Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York. His parents, Ilse Anna Maria (Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, were German Jewish immigrants who escaped the Holocaust by moving to the US in 1939. His father was the president of an international lumber company while his ...
Believe in Dreams Jumpstart Love Our Children USA
49. 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Soundtrack | UHF
Few would have guessed that "Weird Al" Yankovic - who as a shy, accordion-playing teenager got his start sending in homemade tapes to the Dr. Demento Radio Show - would go on to become a pop culture icon and the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with classic song and music video ...
Human Rights Campaign
50. Nelson Mandela
Writer | Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 - December 5, 2013) was the former leader of the African National Congress (ANC). He was known for his lifelong struggle against apartheid (enforced racial separation), which was instituted in South Africa in 1948. The ANC was soon declared a terrorist ...
Africare
51. Marlo Thomas
Actress | That Girl
Many well known and highly identifiable actresses have tried and failed to make the arduous crossover from fizzy TV sitcom star to mature, dramatic artist. Usually it was their hardcore fans who refused to accept them in any other light. Sally Field and Elizabeth Montgomery come first to mind as ...
ALSAC - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
52. Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred grew up in his hometown, where he attended school. When the persecution of the Jewish population in Germany intensified as a result of Adolf Hitler's rise to power in January 1933, he emigrated to the USA with his parents Paula Stern and Ludwig Kissinger in 1938. Kissinger attended ...
American Academy in Berlin
53. Elizabeth Taylor
Actress | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was considered one of the last, if not the last, major star to have come out of the old Hollywood studio system. She was known internationally for her beauty, especially for her violet eyes, with which she captured audiences early in her youth and kept the world hooked ...
AmfAR
54. Harry Belafonte
Actor | Bobby
Harold George Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927 in New York City. He was educated at the New York Dramatic Workshop. He grew up in Jamaica, British West Indies, and did folk-singing in nightclubs and theaters, and on television and records. His debut was at the Village Vanguard in New York. Also,...
AmfAR
55. Sharon Stone
Actress | Basic Instinct
Sharon Stone was born and raised in Meadville, a small town in Pennsylvania. Her strict father was a factory worker, and her mother was a homemaker. She was the second of four children. At the age of 15, she studied in Saegertown High School, Pennsylvania, and at that same age, entered Edinboro ...
AmfAR
56. Boomer Esiason
Actor | The Game Plan
Boomer Esiason was born on April 17, 1961 in West Islip, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Game Plan (2007), 1st & Ten (1984) and American Underdog (2021). He has been married to Cheryl Inez Hyde since May 24, 1986. They have two children.
The Boomer Esiason Foundation
57. Don Cheadle
Actor | Crash
Donald Frank Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (née North), a teacher; father Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist; sister Cindy; and brother Colin. After graduating from high...
College Summit
58. Sigourney Weaver
Actress | Alien
Sigourney Weaver has created a host of memorable characters, both dramatic and comic, ranging from Ripley in Alien to Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist to Gwen/Tawny in Galaxy Quest and most recently, 14-year-old Kiri in Avatar: The Way of Water. With a career spanning over 50 years, Weaver has ...
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
59. Gloria Reuben
Actress | Lincoln
Gloria Reuben is an actress, singer and published author whose impressive credentials in television, film, theater and music include portraying the HIV+ physician assistant Jeanie Boulet on the hit NBC series ER (a role that garnered her two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination) and many ...
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
60. Neal McDonough
Actor | Minority Report
Multi talented and award winning actor Neal McDonough has been blessed to have an incredible career in the film industry.
He is now producing films alongside his wife Ruvé for the McDonough company. Films such as THE WARRANT, BREAKERS LAW, REDSTONE, BOON, BLACK SPARTANS ,and most recently the hit ...
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
61. Nigel Barker
Actor | Arthur
Nigel Barker was born on April 27, 1972 in London, England, UK. He is a producer and actor, known for Arthur (2011), Dreams Are Not Forgotten (2012) and A Sealed Fate? (2009). He has been married to Cristen Chin Barker since October 16, 1999. They have two children.
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
62. Elton John
Soundtrack | Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (...
Elton John AIDS Foundation
63. Jane Fonda
Actress | Klute
Born in New York City to legendary screen star Henry Fonda and Ontario-born New York socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw, Jane Seymour Fonda was destined early to an uncommon and influential life in the limelight. Although she initially showed little inclination to follow her father's trade, she was ...
Elton John AIDS Foundation
64. Whoopi Goldberg
Actress | Ghost
Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in the Chelsea section of Manhattan on November 13, 1955. Her mother, Emma (Harris), was a teacher and a nurse, and her father, Robert James Johnson, Jr., was a clergyman. Whoopi's recent ancestors were from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. She worked in...
Elton John AIDS Foundation
65. Denzel Washington
Actor | Fences
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at ...
Fisher House Foundation
66. Desmond Tutu
Self | Our Story Our Voice
Desmond Tutu was born on October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorp, Union of South Africa [now South Africa]. He was an actor, known for Our Story Our Voice (2007), 24 Peaces and Jock the Hero Dog (2011). He was married to Nomalizo Leah Shenxane. He died on December 26, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Free the Slaves
67. Ethan Zohn
Self | Survivor
Ethan Zohn lived in Zimbabwe for a year where he played for the Highlanders football team. He is still incredibly passionate about Zimbabwe and goes back frequently. In November 2005 he met with Zimbabwean film maker Chloe Traicos to suggest ways to help people over there. He is a celebrity who ...
Grassroot Soccer
68. Oscar De La Hoya
Producer | 40 Days: Canelo vs. Kovalev
Oscar De La Hoya was born on February 4, 1973 in Montebello, California, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for 40 Days: Canelo vs. Kovalev (2019), I Am Boxing (2017) and Los Golden Boys (2015). He was previously married to Millie Corretjer.
Green Dot Public Schools
69. Alicia Keys
Soundtrack | The Secret Life of Bees
Alicia Keys was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, to Terria Joseph (née Teresa M. Augello), a paralegal who was also an occasional actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her father is African-American and her mother, who is Caucasian, is of Italian and English/Irish/Scottish ancestry. Alicia...
Keep a Child Alive
70. Lance Armstrong
Actor | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Armstrong was raised alone by his mother. Even as a child and teenager, he invested a lot of time in cycling. At the age of 13, Armstrong achieved his first victories in cycling races and other sports. In 1984 he won the youth triathlon championship. Three years later he practiced triathlon as a ...
Lance Armstrong Foundation
71. Michael Bloomberg
Actor | The Adjustment Bureau
Michael R. Bloomberg is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who served three terms as Mayor of the City of New York.
Michael Rubens Bloomberg was in Boston, the son of Charlotte (Rubens) and William Henry Bloomberg, an accountant. He is of Russian Jewish descent. He was raised in a middle class home ...
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
72. Magic Johnson
Producer | Obsessed
Magic Johnson was born on August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Obsessed (2009), Dead Tone (2007) and Hair Show (2004). He has been married to Cookie Johnson since September 14, 1991. They have two children.
Magic Johnson Foundation
73. Amy Grant
Soundtrack | The Postman
Amy Grant was born on November 25, 1960, in Augusta, Georgia, U.S.A., the youngest of four daughters to Dr. Burton Paine Grant and his wife Gloria. She recorded her first album, a Christian album called, "Amy Grant" in 1977. It initially sold 250,000 copies, eventually selling over a million copies...
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
74. Jon Bon Jovi
Soundtrack | Young Guns II
Jon Bon Jovi, was born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. On March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to parents John Francis Bongiovi, Sr. and Carol Sharkey.
Family: Jon's mother, Carol Sharkey, was a former model and one of the first Playboy Bunnies. She met Bon Jovi's father after she enlisted in the ...
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
75. Donny Osmond
Actor | Mulan
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond was born December 9, 1957 in Ogden, Utah, to Olive Osmond (née Davis) and George Osmond on . He was the seventh of eight brothers and has one sister. When Donny was young, his family went to see Lawrence Welk in California. They were unable to meet with him so they ...
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
76. Martina McBride
Soundtrack | Runaway Bride
Martina McBride was born on July 29, 1966 in Sharon, Kansas, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Runaway Bride (1999), Where the Heart Is (2000) and Four Christmases (2008). She has been married to John McBride since May 15, 1988. They have three children.
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
77. Reba McEntire
Actress | Reba
Reba Nell McEntire was born on Monday, March 28th, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma. The reigning queen of country music has pursued a musical career since she was 5. In Junior High school, she performed with her musical siblings, aka the Singing McEntires. A fine athlete, Reba McEntire followed in the...
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
78. John Walsh
Actor | Wrongfully Accused
John Walsh was born on December 26, 1945 in Auburn, New York, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Wrongfully Accused (1998), America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back (1988) and The Fugitive (2000). He has been married to Revé Walsh since July 10, 1971. They have four children.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
79. Tina Fey
Actress | Date Night
Elizabeth Stamatina Fey was born in 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, to Xenobia "Jeanne" (Xenakes), a brokerage employee, and Donald Henry Fey, who wrote grant proposals for universities. Her mother is Greek, born in Piraeus, while her father had German, Northern Irish,...
National Kidney Foundation
80. Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor | Inception
Few actors in the world have had a career quite as diverse as Leonardo DiCaprio's. DiCaprio has gone from relatively humble beginnings, as a supporting cast member of the sitcom Growing Pains (1985) and low budget horror movies, such as Critters 3 (1991), to a major teenage heartthrob in the 1990s,...
1.Natural Resources Defense Council 2.“ WildAid ” - americanheros
81. Robert Redford
Actor | The Natural
Born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, to Charles Robert Redford, an accountant for Standard Oil, and Martha Redford, Charles Robert Redford, Jr. was a scrappy kid who stole hubcaps in high school and lost his college baseball scholarship at the University of Colorado because of ...
Natural Resources Defense Council
82. Bette Midler
Soundtrack | Beaches
Multi Grammy Award-winning singer/comedienne/author Bette Midler has also proven herself to be a very capable actress in a string of both dramatic and comedic roles. Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 1, 1945. She is the daughter of Ruth (Schindel), a seamstress, and Fred Midler, a ...
New York Restoration Project
83. Kelsey Grammer
Actor | Cheers
A six-time Emmy Award winner, Kelsey Grammer was born in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, to Sally (Cranmer), a singer, and Frank Allen Grammer, Jr., a musician and restaurateur, who were from the mainland. He was raised in New Jersey and Florida. Grammer was drawn to the works of William ...
Oceana
84. Pierce Brosnan
Actor | Mamma Mia!
Pierce Brendan Brosnan was born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, to May (Smith), a nurse, and Thomas Brosnan, a carpenter. He lived in Navan, County Meath, until he moved to England, UK, at an early age (thus explaining his ability to play men from both backgrounds convincingly). His father left...
Oceana
85. Ted Danson
Actor | Cheers
Ted Danson is well known for his role as Sam Malone in the television series Cheers (1982). During the show's 11-year run, he was nominated nine times for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and won twice, in 1990 and 1993. The role also earned him a Golden Globe Award for ...
Oceana
86. Ben Stiller
Producer | Tropic Thunder
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30, 1965, in New York City, New York, to legendary comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. His father was of Austrian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent, and his mother was of Irish Catholic descent (she converted to Judaism).
His parents made no real...
Project A.L.S.
87. Julianna Margulies
Actress | ER
Julianna Margulies was born on June 8, 1966 in Spring Valley (near New York City), as the youngest of three daughters of Francesca (Goldberg), a teacher and dancer in American Ballet, and Paul Margulies, an advertising writer and philosopher. She is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage (from Romania, ...
Project A.L.S.
88. Jimmy Smits
Actor | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Jimmy L. Smits is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama L.A. Law, NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama NYPD Blue, Matt Santos on the political drama The West Wing, and for appearing in Switch (1991), My Family...
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
89. Kevin Kline
Actor | Wild Wild West
Kevin Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Margaret and Robert Joseph Kline, who owned several stores. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. After attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Kline studied at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1972, ...
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
90. Liev Schreiber
Actor | Spotlight
Liev (pronounced Lee-ev) Schreiber was born in San Francisco. His mother, Heather (Milgram), is a painter, and his father, Tell Schreiber (Tell Carroll Schreiber III), is a theatrical actor who had a small role in The Keeper (1976). His mother is from a working-class Jewish family from Poland and ...
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
91. Morgan Freeman
Actor | Driving Miss Daisy
With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman...
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
92. Nora Ephron
Writer | Julie & Julia
Nora Ephron was educated at Wellesley College, Massachusetts. She was an acclaimed essayist (Crazy Salad 1975), novelist (Heartburn 1983), and had written screenplays for several popular films, all featuring strong female characters, such as anti-nuclear activist Karen Silkwood (Silkwood (1983), ...
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
93. Sam Waterston
Actor | The Killing Fields
Sam Waterston was born on November 15, 1940 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Killing Fields (1984), The Great Gatsby (1974) and Law & Order (1990). He has been married to Lynn Louisa Woodruff since January 26, 1976. They have three children. He was ...
1. The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival 2. Refugees International
94. Trudie Styler
Actress | Filth
Trudie Styler was born on January 6, 1954 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Filth (2013), Moon (2009) and The Next Three Days (2010). She has been married to Sting since August 20, 1992. They have four children.
Rainforest Foundation US
95. Sting
Actor | Dune
Sting was born Gordon Matthew Sumner on 2 October, 1951 in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, the eldest of four children of Audrey (Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, an engineer and milkman. He received his name from a striped sweater he wore which looked like a bee...
Rainforest Foundation US
96. Matt Dillon
Actor | There's Something About Mary
Matt Dillon's successful film career has spanned over three decades and has showcased his wide range of dramatic and comedic talents. Dillon displayed his versatility with an arresting performance co-starring as a racist cop in the critically acclaimed Paul Haggis film Crash. This role earned him ...
Refugees International
97. Queen Noor
Self | Seitenblicke
Lisa Najeeb Halaby was born in 1951 to Najeeb and Doris Halaby in California. Growing up she spent a lot of time with her paternal grandmother. Her family moved to Washington in the early 1960s because her father had been created the director of the FAA under President Kennedy. Later Najeeb became ...
1. Refugees International 2. Seeds of Peace
98. Al Roker
Actor | Robots
Al Roker was born on August 20, 1954 in Queens, New York, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Robots (2005), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Big Year (2011). He has been married to Deborah Roberts since September 16, 1995. They have two children. He was previously married to...
1.Ronald McDonald House Charities 2.A Place Called Home
99. Cindy Crawford
Actress | Fair Game
Cindy Crawford was born on February 20, 1966 in DeKalb, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Fair Game (1995), 54 (1998) and Cougar Town (2009). She has been married to Rande Gerber since May 29, 1998. They have two children. She was previously married to Richard Gere.
Ronald McDonald House Charities
100. Hayden Panettiere
Actress | Heroes
Hayden Lesley Panettiere was born on August 21, 1989 in Palisades, New York, to actress Lesley Vogel and fire department captain Skip Panettiere. Her younger brother was actor Jansen Panettiere (1994-2023). Her parents are both of half Italian descent, along with German and English. Her mother got ...
Ronald McDonald House Charities
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