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!
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 03: America Ferrera at the NBCUniversal Summer TCA Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 3, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
America Ferrera
It would be a little awkward to share the name of a country without being remotely active in its politics. But actress America Ferrera of Ugly Betty-fame has more than lived up to her name. The real challenge was resisting the urge to abandon Hollywood for life in public service and activism.
This year alone, she chaired the artist’s committee for the Women’s March on Washington, sat down with the New York Times to interview Hillary Clinton (whom she also stumped for), and watched her nonprofit, Harness, flourish. But to get the best sense of the Honduran-American has become the model activist-actor, just listen to what she said while accepting the Ally for Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign Gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
"“My liberation is bound up in the liberation of my LGBTQ brothers and sisters, and in the liberation of my black brothers and sisters, and in the liberation of immigrants, and refugees, and Muslims, and Sikhs, and women all over the world, and the incarcerated, and the criminalized, and the uneducated, and the poor, and the hungry, and, and, and, and, and."
We are happy to report that she hasn’t ruled out running for office yet.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Debbie Allen (L) and Kerry Washington attend the women’s march in Los Angeles on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Kerry Washington
Coming off the heels of the Women’s March, Kerry Washington hit the red carpet of the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild with a new kind of accessory that made more than just fashion statement — a safety pin on the sleeve of her white gown. She explained on Instagram, “I’ll be wearing one of these tonight. On my arm. To show solidarity. We will not stop fighting for our safety & the safety of our fellow citizens and human beings. #NoBanNoWall #safetypin.” Alone, it could be seen as a trendy and empty gesture, as some people accused. But the Scandal actress more than backs it up, consistently using her platform to discuss timely political matters and raise awareness across mediums and publications, including The View, Glamour and the SAG Awards (again), to name a few.
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)
Zendaya
Not only did Kerry Washington get political this year — she and Shonda Rhimes also helped Zendaya land on this list. “I think honestly what got me interested in politics, I’m not even going to lie, is Scandal,” the Disney star told TIME magazine in 2015. She’s come a long way from her television-education, regularly speaking on subjects many of fellow Disney-alums tend to avoid, like police brutality and domestic terrorism.
A day after the violence that consumed Charlottesville, Zendaya accepted her Teen Choice Summer Movie Actress award with a wake-up call to the young people in the audience. “With all the injustice and the hatred and everything that is happening not only in the world but in our country,” she said, “I need for you guys to be educated, I need you to listen, I need you to pay attention. I need you to go ahead and understand that you have a voice and it’s OK to use it when you see something bad happening.”
Olivia Pope couldn’t have said it better herself.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 13: Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during the 2017 Forbes Women’s Summit at Spring Studios on June 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian
For someone who lives their life with the camera rolling, Kim Kardashian’s active support of multiple diverse social and political causes is often overlooked. Last year, when her Snapchat-exposé of Taylor Swift went viral, Selena Gomez subtweeted “why can’t people use their voice for something that f***ing matters?”.
But Gomez was quickly shut down when social media users came running with receipts demonstrating Kardashian’s long history of speaking out on many politically-charged topics. In this tumultuous year in politics, the list only got longer.
In the wake of the tragic Las Vegas shooting, the long-time gun control advocate shared statistics on gun violence and information on what her followers could do to help. Even before then, she partnered with nonprofit Everytown to spread awareness on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, writing essays on the subject and even taking her family to visit families of loved ones killed in shootings.
When she learned how changes in health care policy could strip funding from Planned Parenthood, she and her sisters visited their headquarters to pledge their support. That doesn’t mean she’s been perfect this year, but to paraphrase a quote from Kardashian herself, she is admittedly doing a lot of good for a girl with no talent.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – APRIL 19: Actress Alyssa Milano speaks at the 2017 World Of Children Hero Awards at Montage Beverly Hills on April 19, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for World of Children)
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano began and ended 2017 in the midst of two powerful social and political movements. The first was the Women’s March. The second was as one of the original architects of #MeToo Twitter campaign that revealed the scope of sexual harassment and abuse people face on a daily basis, across the globe and in plenty of industries.
If that weren’t enough to fill her Wikipedia page, she launched a website that helps others contact their local representatives, supports Patriot Not Partisan, and drove Doug Jones supporters to the polls in the Alabama special election (as well as during the Georgia special election for Jon Ossoff). The UNICEF Ambassador and long-time HIV/AIDS activist is so outspoken on political issues, she has become a target for trolling not just by strangers, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and of all people, Ted Cruz.
PHOENIX – APRIL 29: Latin pop star Shakira speaks against Arizona’s new immigration law at a Latino community center on April 29, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Colombian singer visited Arizona in solidarity with the state’s Hispanic population to protest the new law. A week earlier the state government passed what has been called the nation’s toughest immigration law, raising fears that Latinos may be racially profiled by police. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Shakira
Colombian singer Shakira is quick to point out that she doesn’t have any kind of vested interest in American politics — she is not a citizen and does not live in the United States. But that’s precisely what makes her actions all the more remarkable. When protests erupted around the nation over an executive order temporarily banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, the UNICEF Ambassador could have just fired off a sympathetic tweet and left it at that. Instead, she penned an impassioned op-ed for TIME on the inhumanity of the ban and injustices suffered by Latinos and African-Americans in America.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 13: Recording artist Eminem performs onstage at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
Eminem
It is safe to say you are no stranger to political commentary when a line in one of your songs leads to a Secret Service investigation. Eminem has been in the controversial business of calling out politicians for the better part of two decades, delivering scathing lines to George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Lynne Cheney and Tipper Gore. But in a year in which many celebrities were rightly called out for appropriating black culture while remaining dead quiet on the issues that affect African-Americans, the Detroit rapper knew his words would carry new weight.
He did not shy away, delivering one of the most eviscerating takedowns of President Donald Trump yet in a nearly-five minute freestyle rap during the BET Hip Hop Cypher Awards. He was widely praised, not just for his skill, but for his willingness to use his privilege to stand up and speak out on controversial issues that do not affect him directly, like immigration and the Black Lives Matter movement.
As a white rapper, Eminem has long acknowledged that he didn’t build the field he has made his fame in, but with “The Storm” and his subsequent album, he went beyond just lip service.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 26: Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Jimmy Kimmel
American healthcare found its unexpected spokespersons in Jimmy Kimmel. Like so many celebrities (and TV hosts), the late night talk show host discovered his voice post-Trump through deeply personal experiences aggravated by the current political climate.
When his newborn son was diagnosed with two rare congenital heart defects, Kimmel tearfully shared his experience and empathy for parents with similarly sick children. His heartache moved him to speak out against Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Health Care Act.
Later, with his son in his arms, Kimmel vented on Congress’s inability to quickly renew life-saving funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). When another tragic mass shooting took dozens of lives in his hometown of Las Vegas, Kimmel once again took to the airwaves, imploring viewers to contact their representatives and push for gun control. It is unlikely that Kimmel will shy away from using his monologue as a platform for change in 2018, fully aware that every line could lose him conservative viewers — and he doesn’t mind a bit.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus speaks onstage at the women’s march in Los Angeles on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The record-breaking Emmy award winner was already a veteran of the Women’s March when she accepted her Screen Actors Guild award for her brilliant work on Veep. True to form, she continued the spirit of the march straight to the podium. “My father fled religious persecution in occupied France, and I’m an American patriot, and I love this country, and because I love this country I am horrified by its blemishes, and this immigrant ban is a blemish, and it is un-American,” she said. She went on to celebrate and express her solidarity with the diverse “storytellers” behind the camera. “We will fight for them,” Louis-Dreyfus told the audience.
Like Jimmy Kimmel, the actress also turned personal hardship into an opportunity to speak out in the midst of a healthcare debate that threatened to leave millions uninsured. Only a few days after winning her sixth Emmy, Louis-Dreyfus announced that she had breast cancer, urging her followers to fight for universal health care for women that don’t have insurance.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Actor Riz Ahmed, winner of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for ‘The Night of’, poses in the press room during the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Riz Ahmed
With his role as Bodhi Rook in Rogue One and Emmy-award winning performance in HBO miniseries The Night Of (and a place on The Hamilton Mixtape ), 2016 made Riz Ahmed a household name.
But 2017 was all about what he would do with the fame that year gave him, and his to-do list was long. The British-Pakistani actor successfully raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Syrian refugees, called out media’s portrayal of Muslims in the news and delivered a speech to Parliament on the importance of diversity in media.
Post-Charlottesville, Ahmed performed a powerful spoken-word rendition of his song “Sour Times” on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, providing a rare, compassionate take on the circumstances that push young men into extremism. His efforts as an entertainer and activist landed him earned him a spot on the TIME 100 Most Influential People list.
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 29: Actor Chris Evans speaks onstage at ‘Wind River’ special screening at SCADShow on November 29, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for WIND RIVER)
Chris Evans
Chris Evan’s advisers have allegedly spent the better part of 2017 begging him to shut up about politics. But the actor who brings Captain America to life has happily ignored their advice and in the process, become something of a superhero himself.
Evans has commented on the front lines of nearly every major political news story this year, informing his followers and driving discussions on everything from net neutrality to the immigration ban. Most famously, he made headlines in February for sparring with white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan imperial wizard David Duke on Twitter after Jeff Sessions’ confirmation.
As a man whose face is probably inside half of America’s toy boxes, he is a role model to the next generation of leaders and citizens, and he’s not shying away from the responsibility — even if it loses him ticket sales.
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 21: Actress/singer Cher accepts the Billboard Icon Award during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Cher
Have you ever wondered what kind of viewer calls into C-SPAN to share their thoughts on foreign and domestic policy? Apparently, it includes iconic goddesses of pop like Cher, who has been calling in since the early 2000s and nursing an addiction to public service cable network ever since.
With social media and fueled by her incandescent hatred of President Donald Trump, she has modernized her approach and made it her proud mission to be the loudest thorn in Republicans’ conservative agenda.
The Oscar winner kicked-off the year at a pre-inauguration anti-Trump rally hosted by Michael Moore, offered to protect DREAMers in her own home after DACA was rescinded, and called for a bipartisan approach to healthcare after the collapse of the “skinny” Obamacare repeal. She is so vocal that she even got called out by name by a clearly annoyed FCC Chairman over her recent comments on net neutrality. We’re sure she wears it like a badge of honor.
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 06: Honoree Jennifer Lawrence accepts award onstage at The Hollywood Reporter’s 2017 Women In Entertainment Breakfast at Milk Studios on December 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for THR)
Jennifer Lawrence
To paraphrase Oprah, Jennifer Lawrence has a strong desire to use her fame and fortune for something greater than herself. But for the Academy Award-winning actress, it’s more of an obligation. “It’s not easy to speak out; it’s not easy to face criticism on a global scale. But the fact is, I have been given a platform, and if I don’t use it, then I don’t deserve it,” she told the audience at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment breakfast as she was awarded the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.
Just this month, she partnered with Omaze to raffle off a chance to have drinks and a picnic with the Academy Award-winning actress, with the proceeds going to a bipartisan nonprofit that fights corruption.
The Daily Beast called it over a year ago, dubbing her Hollywood’s next power liberal “poised to be the next Clooney or DiCaprio.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 04: Model and television personality Chrissy Teigen (2nd L) and singer/songwriter John Legend (R) pose with a cardboard cutout of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as they take photos with students during a voter registration drive at UNLV on October 4, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Chrissy Teigen
After nine years of regular trolling, model Chrissy Teigen joined the privileged few blocked by the President of the United States of America. The tweet that did her in? “lol no one likes you.” But don’t let the small-seeming straw that broke the camel’s back fool you — Teigen has been calling Donald Trump out before he even eyed the White House.
Although intensely proud of the admittedly juvenile tweet that earned her that rare distinction, that’s not why she made the list. It’s her willingness to stand up for what she believes and fearlessly call out anyone who spews or supports racist, xenophobic or misogynistic rhetoric, whether on Twitter or in the Capitol. Just this year, she’s spoken out on the immigration ban, white supremacy in Charlottesville and the sexual assault allegations sweeping Hollywood. We expected nothing less from a woman who skipped Sundance to attend the Women’s March.
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 22: Writer Stephen King speaks at the Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher at the Shop during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2006 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images)
Stephen King
In 2015, the Washington Post said the scariest thing about Stephen King is not his capacity for horror, but rather his tweeting about politics. Donald Trump agreed because by 2017, the acclaimed horror writer joined Chrissy Teigen in the elite ranks of those blocked on Twitter by the sitting president.
He is by no means a newcomer to political commentary or trolling, but since the election, he has unintentionally established himself as a must-follow celebrity for the politically-inclined. The recent renaissance of his work has taken a whole new meaning under the current administration as well. One columnist even called It a “parable for life under Donald Trump,” while another described The Mist as a show “built for our current Trumpian era of political and cultural polarization.”
Next: 20 good things that happened in 2017
It’s been a year where more celebrities than ever have spoken out. What will 2018 look like?