- Sophia Bush: You may recognize Bush from her work on the TV show One Tree Hill, the film John Tucker Must Die and finally Chicago P.D. Bush is an animal lover and rescuer, has worked with the Michelle Obama on various women’s rights movements and development of secondary education programs for girls internationally and nationally, has built schools in the developing world with Pencils of Promise, raised money for those affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, lived on $1.50 a day to raise awareness about global poverty, publicly supported gay marriage, and so much more. Ultimately she just uses her fame and public platform for the greater good.
- Shailene Woodley: Woodley starred in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Fault in Our Stars, The Divergent Series, The Descendants and so on. Woodley has always been outspoken about human rights and supported various organizations dedicated to equality. Recently she participated and was arrested for protesting at the Dakota Access Pipeline.
- Emma Watson: Best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, Watson has also starred in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and she will play Belle in the upcoming Beauty and The Beast film. Watson also made it as one of the “100 Most Influential People” by Time Magazine. This honor was granted to Watson for her HeForShe campaign, for feminist activism. Her campaign is special because it holds men responsible for gender equality as well as women.
- Laverne Cox: Not only does she slay in Orange is the New Black but Cox uses her platform to speak about transgender rights and issues. Her website states that Laverne is also producing another documentary titled Free CeCe in order to heighten visibility and awareness surrounding CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman who was controversially sentenced to 41 months in prison for second degree manslaughter after allegedly defending herself against a racist and transphobic attack. The documentary will focus on McDonald’s case, her experiences while incarcerated in a men’s prison and the larger implications of her case for the transgender community.”
- Miley Cyrus: Cyrus is known for her provocative dance moves and songs, but when it comes down to it, she just wants everyone to have rights and be spoken for. Cyrus is known for her roles in Hannah Montana, The Last Song, Bolt and so on. Cyrus founded the Happy Hippie foundation, which works toward helping “young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.”
- Mindy Kaling: You may recognize Kaling from The Office as well as The Mindy Project but Kaling has always been outspoken about diversity issues in Hollywood and refuses to give up the foods she loves because she loves her body and that’s just how it’ll be. When asked about diversity in Hollywood Kaling stated, “My role is not just artist. It’s also activist because of the way I look. On so many shows and movies, race was a gesture, and in mine it’s the premise. I can’t ignore that what a lot of people see is an Indian woman who doesn’t look like a Bollywood star. It piques their interest, and they’re not bad for wanting me to tell stories about it, and I’m not wrong for not wanting to. I want to fill my desire to write vibrant, flawed characters, but then also be a role model to young people. It’s stuff that I think about all the time. Some people don’t have to think about this at all.”
- Demi Lovato: Lovato is known for her killer vocals and hit songs but her work with mental health awareness, anti-bullying campaigns and help in the LGBTQ community have played a huge role in society as well. Lovato is very open about her struggles with addiction and later going to rehab, dealing with Bipolar disorder and her support of gay rights.
These are just some of the amazing women in Hollywood that are using their public platforms to talk about serious and relevant issues going on in this world. These issues can hit close to home for any of us and I’m proud to have these women to look up and have them lead by example.
