15 celebrities who got political in 2017
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 03: Presenter Zendaya speaks onstage at the 16th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)
To paraphrase a man who helped save the galaxy while tiding us over for The Last Jedi, if a reality star can be president, why can’t actors talk politics?
This year, countless famous faces from across Hollywood and entertainment proved that they could and would, even in the face of harsh backlash that comes with speaking their mind in a highly politicized, post-Trump world.
In this list, we focus on just a few of the celebrities who came into their own as political pundits of social media, moved activist to the top of their résumé, found their voice and made huge statements when the country needed it the most. Thanks to social media, many have used their fame like never before, going head-to-head with politicians on Twitter, calling them out in front of millions on live TV, rallying their fans to raised millions of dollars and bringing awareness to previously unnoticed causes.
Many of these celebrity activists are advocating for causes that have little to no direct impact on them but do carry serious personal and professional risks. Jennifer Lawrence’s last film was boycotted over a misrepresented quote. Hillary Clinton-supporter Emmy Rossum was harassed by anti-Semitic Twitter trolls. Meryl Streep got the ire of the Commander-in-Chief himself.
It is by no means an all-encompassing list or full of flawless role models, instead concentrating on newer faces who are driving discussion and change in the world of American politics. Otherwise, this would be a ranking where all of TIME‘s Silence Breakers would top the list. But we are excited to see who will continue their activist streak into 2018 and beyond to inherit the activist mantle from the likes of Jane Fonda, George Clooney and Mark Ruffalo.
Interestingly, all three have all played superheroes in the past. Coincidence? I think not — and now my money is on Chris Evans as the next Clooney. Place your bets!