The public is of the opinion that celeb activists nowadays stick to token activism just to appease their fanbase. They don’t mean anything they say and are only doing this for brownie points. But these celebs took their activist roles seriously. When they raised a voice, everyone listened. And most of the time, the people who were listening were also the people these celeb activists were protesting against.
And these powerful folks didn’t like it one bit.
Jane Fonda – Dissed The American Government During Vietnam War
jane Fonda is a stalwart of celebrity activism. She has been using her status as a public figure to raise awareness on various issues. And we have nothing but respect for her for fighting the brave fight. But sometimes, even her own fans claim Jane Fonda overdoes it. Fonda’s first public protest march began with her support for people campaigning against the Vietnam War. This did not bode well with the authorities, who tried forcing her to pipe down.
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Fonda would then avoid making run-ins with the law till the year of 2019, when she started being vocal about various socially sensitive topics. After she started voicing her opinions against the use of fossil fuels and calls for governments to do more on environmental actions, Jane Fonda ended up in jail for at least 5 times.
Mark Ruffalo – His Vocal Opinion On Palestine Did Not Sit Well With Israel
Actor Mark Ruffalo is seen as Hollywood’s lovable goofball on screen. He will be forever be known for the portrayal of Bruce Banner aka the Hulk on the big screens for the MCU. But when he is not playing a character, Ruffalo is hard at work trying to make people notice on some really pressing issues.
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Mark Ruffalo was the founder an organization called The Solutions Project working on what they call ‘climate justice’ in the USA and Puerto Rico. He even helped produce and stared in an anti-fracking film called Dark Waters. Ruffalo also was a frequent critic of Donald Trump and used his social media influence to raise awareness on Palestine. Mark Ruffalo has had frequent run-ins with the law but never got himself arrested. To be honest though, his relentless activism may be getting him there sooner than later.
George Clooney – The Sudanese Government Hates Him
America’s forever sweetheart has made some pretty powerful enemies over the years, thanks to his vocal opinions on little-talked about issues on Africa. Clooney”s wife is also known for using her status as a celebrity lawyer to champion noble causes. But the Ocean’s 11 actor takes things to a whole new level.
George Clooney is actively engaged in talks with UN representatives, trying to push world leaders to end the War in Darfur, which has devastated the Sudanese economy. Clooney would then participate in a protest along with his father in front of the Sudanese Embassy in 2012, and he was promptly arrested. He is also a supporter of the BLM movement and donated $500,000 USD following the death of George Floyd.
Rosario Dawson – Campaigned Against Then President George W. Bush
You may know her from shows like Daredevil and The Mandalorian. The Ahsoka Tano actor is also a very well-known celebrity activist. She has in fact directly participated in protests against a former US President who was holding office at the time. President George W. Bush and Rosario Dawson aren’t exactly who would call pals. Dawson was arrested while protesting against Bush during the Republican National Convention in the year of 2004.
She also protested against politicians using money and power to game the system in 2016. The folks at Capitol Hill do not like her. Dawson met her partner, Senator Cory Booker, while working on a 2018 fundraiser for the then Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous.
Marlon Brando – Made Enemies Out Of The Entire Oscars Academy
Marlon Brando was a beast on the big screens. His screen presence filled up the entire theater. he embodies the very meaning of the words – ‘An offer he can’t refuse’. But the guy was also known for his controversial political ideologies and rampart activism. In the 1960s, Brando marched with his African-American Brothers and pressured the American Government into boycotting Apartheid South Africa.
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But the most controversial point in his career would definitely be 1973. He refused to accept his Best Actor trophy, instead using it as a chance to send in a woman of Indigenous descent – actor Sacheen Littlefeather – and raise awareness on how society rampantly discriminates against Native American people.
Christopher Reeve – Chilean Dictator Pinochet Wanted Him Dead
The OG Superman actor Christopher Reeve was also a well-documented environmental activist. He also advocated for human rights, going so far as to berate military dictators in their own country. After 77 actors were held hostage by the tyrannic Chilean government, Reeve was amongst the contingent of people that flew from America to Chile to raise their voice against the tyrant.
Christopher Reeve would later be thrown from a horse and remain paralyzed for the rest of his days. Even then he would advocate for stem cell research and medical innovations, something that did not sit will with Big Pharma. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is adamant on reducing the cost of living and improve quality of treatment for patients.
Woody Harrelson – Irked One Of America’s Most Powerful Businessmen
Ever heard of the name Charles Hurwitz? For the uninitiated, Hurwitz is frequently charged with being the key orchestrator in the 1980’s Savings and Loan Crisis, which destroyed thousands of families and left them in ruins. Never in his life would Hurwitz have thought that out of all the people that spoke against him since then, his greatest rival would be a Hollywood actor.
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Woody Harrelson participated in an iconic protest against the Maxxam Inc. CEO, hanging up a sign on the Golden Gate Bridge. Hurwitz did not like it one bit. Rumours claim the businessman tried using indirect intimidation tactics to force Harrelson to back off. The Venom star just kept coming back for more.
