40 Celebs Who Are Actually Amazing People in Real Life

Celebrities are often portrayed as selfish, money grabbing egotists who would stop at nothing in their quest for fame and fortune. And while some stars have definitely earned their diva reputation, others have actually proved capable of thinking about those less fortunate than themselves. So with that in mind, here are 40 heartwarming tales of A-listers using their fame for the greater good.

40. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is so concerned about climate change that he even set up his own eponymous foundation to tackle the issue. According to the Borgen Project, by 2015 it had accrued grants of more than $15 million to help preserve the planet through various initiatives. The rights of indigenous people is just one of the areas that the organization has directed its funds toward.

39. Tyler Perry

In the same year that he starred in a film called Good Deeds, Tyler Perry became an off-screen knight in shining armor for Alicia Day, who has cerebral palsy. In 2012 Perry learned that thieves had taken the woman’s mobility van from her home in Decatur, and so the comedian kindly volunteered to buy her another one. Aww.

38. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is renowned for being one of the most stylish Disney Channel graduates. And in 2008 the former Wizards of Waverly Place star put her eye for fashion to good use by staging a charity catwalk event. More than $1 million was raised for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital’s Runway for Life as a result.

37. Woody Harrelson

When a homeless lady asked a diner in a New York restaurant if he could spare her some money, she had no idea the man was White Men Can’t Jump star Woody Harrelson. Nor did the woman realize that he would turn out to be such a big-hearted benefactor! Instead of throwing the lady a few dimes, Harrelson reportedly handed her a wad of cash – $600 to be exact. According to reports, when the woman realized who he was, she simply exclaimed, “Woody, white men can jump!”

36. Christy Turlington

Having experienced a complicated childbirth herself, Christy Turlington then made it her mission to help others going through the same thing. The supermodel launched an organization called Every Mother Counts to promote safe practices across the world. And she’s also shone the spotlight on the issue with the documentary No Woman, No Cry.

35. Brad Pitt

Instead of simply showing up at the A Concert for Hurricane Relief telethon in 2005, Brad Pitt opted to help out in a more hands-on way. And so the handsome actor set up the “Make It Right” foundation in 2007. Since then, the charity has reportedly raised enough funds to replace 109 homes in hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

34. Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is one of the most successful music producers of the 21st century. And the hitmaker wants to make sure that the next generation has the resources to achieve similar success. Williams’ From One Hand to AnOTHER was founded to provide youngsters across America with access to the best creative, social and educational tools on offer. This has included everything from summer camp initiatives to turkeys for Thanksgiving!

33. Eva Longoria

She may have shot to fame playing a high-maintenance housewife, but Eva Longoria is far more selfless away from Wisteria Lane. The actress greatly admires her special needs sister Elizabeth, and so in 2006 she decided to set up a kids’ program in her honor. Eva’s Heroes runs summer camps and after-school activities for children with special needs in the San Antonio area.

32. Sarah Michelle Gellar

After years of fighting vampires, Sarah Michelle Gellar has switched her attention to tackling poverty. The Buffy star has acted as an ambassador for several charities including CARE, Habitat for Humanity and Project Angel Food. In a 2004 interview with Radio Free, the philanthropic star explained, “I started because my mother taught me a long time ago that even when you have nothing, there’s ways to give back.”

31. Emma Watson

Emma Watson added some much-needed girl power to the Harry Potter franchise as Hermione Granger. And she’s now doing her best to inspire a new generation of strong, independent women. The actress serves as a U.N. Women Global Goodwill Ambassador while representing HeForShe. For reference, the latter organization was founded to help eradicate gender inequality.

30. John Cena

You’d have to go a long way to find a more hard-working giver than John Cena. The wrestler-turned-action-hero has granted more requests than any other star in the Make-A-Wish foundation. In fact, by 2015 the charitable celeb had reportedly made over 400 dreams come true. Pretty cool, if you ask us.

29. Christian Bale

While he might not be particularly patient on set, it seems Christian Bale at least has a sensitive side outside of filming. In 2012 a gunman opened fire at a Colorado screening of The Dark Knight Rises – killing 12 and wounding many others. Upon hearing of the horrific event, Bale took it upon himself to pay a visit to the injured survivors to personally offer his sympathies.

28. Dwayne Johnson

Before becoming a WWE champion and Hollywood superstar, Dwayne Johnson pursued a career in football. As you’d expect, he was just as talented on the field as he was in the ring. The man later nicknamed The Rock played for the University of Miami’s Hurricanes team in his early days. And in 2007 he decided to give a little back by donating $1 million to the institution.

27. Zach Galifianakis

The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis appears to have a heart as big as his beard. Before he made it big, the young man had befriended an elderly woman called Mimi at a launderette. And he didn’t forget her – even when he hit the big time. Because upon hearing that Mimi had become homeless, not only did the now-famous Hollywood star help his old friend to secure a flat, he then apparently proceeded to pick up the tab for her rent! Amazing.

26. Matt Damon

There’s a reason why Matt Damon is considered as one of Hollywood’s nice guys. The Good Will Hunting star helped to found the organization Water.org, which aims to provide sanitation and safe water for families across the world. Damon and co. appear to be achieving their ambitions, too. Over 20 million people across a dozen nations have benefited from the initiative, according to the Borgen Project.

25. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is renowned for making big-hearted gestures on her popular chat show. And one of her most generous giveaways took place in 2013 when the presenter changed the life of one Philadelphia native. The fan – who worked in a children’s hospital – was struggling financially. DeGeneres, then, put her and her family on a plane to Los Angeles, where she surprised them with a $10,000 check.

24. Jennifer Lopez

As you can probably guess by its name, the Lopez Family Foundation is the brainchild of the singer/actress/dancer everyone knows as J.Lo. The triple threat teamed up with both the United Nations Foundation and Montefiore’s Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2010 to launch the first of eight telemedicine centers. Programs aimed at improving health education and healthcare for underprivileged women and kids are also a key fundraising priority.

23. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence isn’t known as one of Hollywood’s sweethearts for nothing. Following her colossal success with the Hunger Games franchise, the actress wanted to give back to her hometown in a big way. As a result, she reportedly donated $2 million to the Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville.

22. Kim Kardashian

As a member of one of reality TV’s wealthiest families, Kim Kardashian is renowned for splashing the cash. But in 2017 the socialite proved that she could pay it forward, too. She gave half a million dollars to Houston relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey. According to the website TFN, this was the most charitable donation made by anyone following the devastating natural disaster.

21. Taylor Swift

In 2015 Taylor Swift gave a terminally ill fan a very special Christmas present. The youngster in question got the chance to experience a day in Swifts’s girl squad. Just three months before her passing, 13-year-old Delaney Clements got quite the surprise when her idol stopped by for a visit at her house in Colorado’s Grand Junction.

20. Lady Gaga

Born This Way isn’t just the title of Lady Gaga’s self-empowering hit and parent album. It’s also the name of the foundation that she launched in 2012 with the assistance of her mother Cynthia. The pair decided to join forces to help provide the youth of today with greater access to mental health services. They added that their ultimate goal is to create a “kinder and braver world.”

19. Amy Schumer

Formerly a staple of Comedy Central, funnywoman Amy Schumer would no doubt be the ideal customer at every restaurant. Because after finding out that her New York waiter was working two jobs to support himself through college, the star reportedly left him a $500 tip on her $49 bill. Nice, right?

18. Bill Hader

Bill Hader is certainly no stranger to a good deed. When he was asked to help a fan prank her New York high school, the SNL graduate more than obliged. In fact, Hader spent a whole day pretending to be a firefighter and hopping between classrooms giving out terrible advice to the young prankster’s classmates.

17. Sandra Bullock

Who doesn’t love Sandra Bullock? The Speed star has been a cinemagoing favorite for over three decades now thanks to her winning personality. And in 2010 she proved once again what a good egg she is by donating $1 million to charity. In the wake of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, the Oscar winner pledged the significant sum to Doctors Without Borders.

16. Oprah Winfrey

“You get from the world what you give to the world,” Oprah Winfrey once said. The talk show queen has obviously given plenty as at the time of writing she has a whopping $2.7 billion to her name, according to Forbes. One such example is Oprah’s Angel Network. Launched by Winfrey, the foundation has helped to establish more than 50 schools across a dozen nations, according to Yahoo! Finance. It’s built a significant number of houses in aid of Habitat for Humanity, too.

15. Chris Pratt

The kids of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge got a fantastic surprise when one A-lister made an impromptu visit in 2015. Chris Pratt stopped by the facility while promoting Jurassic World. And not only did the star hand out goodies, he also re-enacted one of his scenes from the dinosaur blockbuster.

14. Bette Midler

Bette Midler made her name singing on the Big Apple’s club circuit. And in 1995 she gave back to the city where it all started by founding an initiative designed to increase the number of green spaces. Yahoo! Finance notes that within the space of 20 years, the New York Restoration Project had worked its magic on more than 50 different community gardens. And it planted no fewer than one million trees in the process!

13. Ron Perlman

In 2012 Hellboy’s Ron Perlman proved that, actually, he was more of an angel when he made a young sci-fi fan’s Make-a-Wish come true. The actor donned full superhero attire to surprise a boy named Zachary. And the little six-year-old was then transformed himself into a Hellboy by a special make-up team.

12. Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey proved he had a heart of gold when he and wife Camila set up a community-based foundation called J.K. Livin’. Inspired by the death of his father, the Dazed and Confused star wanted to give back to youngsters living everywhere from California to Texas. And his nonprofit does so by promoting nutrition, fitness and wellness through various exercises.

11. Shakira

Shakira has reportedly improved the lives of over 30,000 families with her Barefoot Foundation. The singer launched the nonprofit across three Colombian regions with the aim of giving every child an education. This wasn’t Shakira’s first philanthropic endeavor, either. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer formed the Pies Descalzos Foundation when she was still in her teens!

10. Beyoncé

Beyoncé – the queen of the surprise album – also did the unexpected in 2013 during a festive spending spree at Walmart. As well as buying everything she needed for the Knowles-Carter family Christmas, the singer reportedly splurged $37,500 on gift vouchers. She then handed them out to 750 shoppers in the store!

9. Hugh Jackman

New York’s Laughing Man Café is a coffee joint with a difference. Not only is the establishment co-owned by Hollywood superstar Hugh Jackman, but it also gives every cent it makes to improving health and education in Africa. The Greatest Showman actor and his wife were inspired to open the café after making friends with a farmer named Dukale in Ethiopia.

8. Michael J Fox

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Michael J Fox chose to do something truly inspiring. He set up his own eponymous foundation to help in the research of the degenerative condition. The Back to the Future star has since helped raise approximately $700 million for the cause, according to his website. And The New York Times once hailed it as the “most credible voice on Parkinson’s research in the world.”

7. Chris Hemsworth

In 2016 Tristin Budzyn-Barkert found out that honesty really does pay its own rewards. Because after finding a wallet belonging to none other than Chris Hemsworth, the teenager did the right thing and handed it over to the actor’s management. To show his appreciation, the star not only provided the boy scout with a cash reward and a trip to the Ellen studios, but he also put him forward for an Eagle Scout Award.

6. Elton John

Few celebrities have committed more to the AIDS cause than Sir Elton John. The Rocket Man set up his own foundation in 1992 to help boost awareness of HIV, improve treatment access and fund research initiatives. Over the following decades, the organization reportedly managed to raise an incredible $385 million.

5. Michael Jordan

After hanging up his basketball shoes, Michael Jordan proved immediately that he had no intention to just sit on his pile of cash. The NBA icon pledged $2 million at an event celebrating his retirement to the building of a brand-new, 41,000-square foot facility for Boys and Girls Club of America. It’s still there more than a quarter-century later where roughly 1,250 people benefit from various social, education and health initiatives.

4. J.K. Rowling

On discovering that a young fan with cancer had written to her just before her death, J.K. Rowling vowed that the little girl’s name would live on forever. And so the author named a character in her honor. Natalie McDonald was immortalized as the Gryffindor witch who first appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

3. Charlize Theron

Turns out that Charlize Theron is just as heroic outside the world of Mad Max. The actress – who played badass Imperator Furiosa in the action reboot – launched an outreach program in 2007 which aims to link community initiatives across Africa together. Born and raised in South Africa, Theron also serves as a UN Messenger of Peace.

2. Bono

Bono hasn’t stopped talking about saving the world since finding fame as the frontman of U2. In 2004 the singer put his money where his mouth is by co-founding an organization which aims to eradicate both illnesses deemed preventable and extreme poverty by the year 2030. It’s a tall ask, but according to its website, the organization has secured around $37.5 billion for various health initiatives.

1. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber may have once gained a reputation as a brat, but it turns out that he did have a more likable side during his remarkable rise to fame. The Canadian pop idol certainly made cancer patient Avalanna Routh’s Valentine’s dreams come true in 2012. For Bieber invited the then-six-year-old and her family out to Manhattan to help him celebrate the occasion.