15 extraordinarily kind celebrities

With immense privilege comes great responsibility. Most celebrities have power, fame and money, but there are some stars who truly shine because they know it’s important what you do with it.

In honour of World Kindness Day, we’re looking at the nicest stars in Tinseltown, from one famous singer who rescued a lonely elephant, to the actors who emulate the superheroes they play on screen.

Find out which celeb gave away $75 million of their earnings to their co-stars and how one celebrity has broken records for granting over 650 wishes for critically ill children.

Best known for her role on the TV show Orange is the New Black, Laverne has been breaking boundaries as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy, and to appear on the cover of TIME.

Laverne has used her own experiences growing up as trans in Alabama to become a force for change.

As well as advocacy, the actress has auctioned off a replica of the rainbow clutch she took to the 2019 Emmys red carpet to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ rights and donated the proceeds to the Anti-Violence Project, a charity working to protect the LGBTQ+ community from violence.

Not only does Robert Downey Jr play the character of Iron Man in the Marvel cinematic universe, he is also a real-life superhero.

The Avengers star is passionate about green initiatives, having created an organisation called The Footprint Coalition, with the aim of using technology to promote a clean environment.

He also donated a share in his coffee company, Happy, to a mental health charity.

Robert also gave away six cars to raise money for the Edward Charles Foundation, which aids charities fighting poverty, protecting endangered animals and more.

The 52-year-old Golden Globe winner is synonymous with kindness, and his charity endeavours even have a connection with the royal family.

Idris and his wife Sabrina set up the Elba Hope Foundation, an international public charity which focuses on community empowerment, education, and sustainable development.

He is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador for IFAD, focusing on issues around food security, climate change and environmental conservation.

Idris also launched a Don’t Stop Your Future campaign, which sought government action to address youth violence in the UK and highlight the human cost of knife crime. The campaign called for an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, along with increased funding for youth services.

The Queen awarded him an OBE in 2016.

The “Poker Face” singer has done incredible work for charity in her lifetime.

In 2011, she set up the Born This Way Foundation, which is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world.

As well as her work for youth mental health with the foundation, Lady Gaga has also raised money to help relief efforts for natural disaster recovery around the world.

She raised $500,000 in 2010 for earthquake relief in Haiti, $250,000 in 2011 to support victims of the tsunami in Japan, and her collaboration with WHO and Global Citizen in 2020 raised $127.9 million for COVID-19 relief efforts.

Lady Gaga’s partnership with MAC Cosmetics raised $202 million for HIV prevention and treatment, empowering women in poverty and sexual health education for young people globally.

No kindness list would be complete without Keanu Reeves — widely considered the nicest star in Hollywood.

Aside from the fact that he secretly donates to children’s hospitals and numerous other charities, the star takes pay cuts and gives money to others on set all the time. He earned megabucks for the Matrix films, but gave a huge chunk of his earnings (a reported $75 million) to the special effects guys and behind-the-scenes people who he felt deserved it more.

He also took a $2 million pay cut for the Devil’s Advocate so the producers could afford to hire Al Pacino for the lead.

Then there are the heart-warming stories from fans and co-stars that detail what an all-round nice guy he is which grow more numerous year after year. From reports of him helping out carrying heavy equipment with the crew of John Wick 4 to the time he patiently waited in the rain outside the wrap party of his own film Daughter of God in 2014 when the person on the door didn’t recognise him but he didn’t want to cause a scene. 

“I don’t want to be part of a world where being kind is a weakness,” Keanu said during an appearance on the Graham Norton show – and he’s been nothing but true to his word.

In the past year alone, Taylor has donated to hurricane relief efforts and food banks at numerous locations across the Eras Tour.

As well as big acts of goodwill, she has also shown kindness in quieter ways, including donating individually to the family of a shooting victim who died at a Chief’s victory parade.

When news broke that a horrifying knife attack had taken place in Southport at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, Taylor met the girls and their families backstage at Wembley Stadium.

Barbie actress America is vocal about causes close to her heart, including women’s rights.

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to fight injustice to incite change in this world,” she told Glamour.

“I became very passionate about democracy and elections, and that’s how I got proximate to the issues of environmental racism and access to education, reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.

“My commitment is to keep fighting and showing up in beloved community where women find strength and courage in each other, to continue the work toward the change that we all deserve.”

She won the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award at the 2023 Women in Film Honours, which recognises “women who have used their prominent entertainment industry profiles to effect radical change and shed light on issues using their powerful voices”.

As well as founding Harness, a nonprofit aimed at building community between activists, artists and leaders, America also co-founded Poderistas, a nonprofit organisation that serves as a digital community created by and for Latinas.

Emmy Award-winning actress Viola has been rewarded and recognised in Hollywood for her long history of philanthropic work.

She has donated funds to keep her hometown library open, donated to her alma mater’s theatre programme, and partnered with the Hunger Is campaign to eradicate childhood hunger in America.

The How To Get Away With Murder actress also worked with Vaseline to provide dermatological care to heal the skin of people affected by poverty across the world.

Accepting an award for the Jacqueline Avant HollyRod Humanitarian Award at the HollyRod Foundation DesignCare 2024 Gala, Viola made an emotional speech about the importance of giving and being kind and how her experiences of growing up in poverty inspired her to help others.

“I want to honour little Viola, I want to be the hero that she needs next. I want to be that person that came through the dark and said, ‘I see you.’ That’s why I work with hunger. That’s why I work with education. That’s why I work with domestic violence. I see you.

“And as long as I am breathing, I know that my leg of this race is to pass the baton on to the next great runner who’s gonna get it and put it out into the world and make others feel less alone, like Ms. Avant. I thank her for her life. I thank her for even thinking that I am worthy of this award. And while I’m still breathing, I am going to leave something in people.”

As well as opening up about her struggles with mental health, singer and actress Selena Gomez has used her huge social media presence to promote positive change. Encouraging her followers, she wrote: “Please, please be kinder and consider others’ mental health. My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love.”

She founded the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to contribute $100 million to youth mental health.

In a statement on the organisation’s website, Selena wrote: “Mental health is personal for me. I went a long time without the support I needed because I didn’t understand what I was feeling. After experiencing what seemed like endless highs and lows that would take me out for weeks at a time, I finally found the help to see what I was going through. But I’m learning every day that supporting my mental health is a journey. Every day isn’t perfect—not for me, not for anyone. And too many people don’t have access to the mental health resources and education they need.

“That’s why I started the Rare Impact Fund. It’s a commitment to expand access to mental health services and education for young people everywhere. Because no one—regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or background—should struggle alone.”

The former WWE wrestler has literally broken records for his kindness, having granted over 650 wishes for critically ill children with the charity Make-A-Wish. No other celebrity has come close to his record, with 200 being the next nearest.

He told Reuters that he was 100 per cent committed to his work with the charity, right from the start: “I said, ‘If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing’”.

“If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”

“Be kind whenever possible and patient when kindness isn’t available,” he wrote via X.

Few celebrities can claim to be as involved in charity and activism work as Angelina Jolie, who has worked with the UN since she was in her early twenties, visiting refugee camps. She has donated financially to the UNHCR, as well as carrying out 60 field missions during which she met first-hand people who have been displaced by war and heard of their pain and suffering.

Angelina has two foundations: the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, “dedicated to environmental security, improving health, and creating peace and stability in all communities”. She also set up the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to assist with humanitarian issues worldwide. They donated $1 million Global Action for Children and the same again to Doctors Without Borders.

In an impassioned speech, Angelina told Vogue: “I see all people as equal. I see the abuse and suffering and I cannot stand by. Around the world, people are fleeing gas attacks, rape, female genital mutilation, beatings, persecution, murder. They do not flee to improve their lives. They flee because they cannot survive otherwise.”

Celebrating her 40th birthday in an incredibly generous way, actress Mindy Kaling wrote via X: “I’m so grateful to have my wonderful, peaceful life w/my daughter Katherine. How lucky am I to turn 40? I would love to express my gratitude by donating $1000 to 40 different charitable orgs that help others.”

She has adopted similar tactics in the past, donating to causes to celebrate a birthday.

Mindy sadly lost her mother to pancreatic cancer and has used her grief as a force for good by becoming an ambassador for PanCAN, a charity which raises funds for research and runs patient services.

She has also opened up about how motherhood has changed how she sees humanitarian issues.

She said: “I’m Indian, and to think of the millions of babies who look exactly like my daughter, who don’t have the same advantages that she does, it is very chilling to me and it’s very personal to me now that I see her face every single morning.”

The singing superstar has an incredible list of charitable donations and organisations, including Free The Wild, which works to stop the suffering of animals in captivity. She also initiated the Pandemic Resource and Response Fund to help bring supplies to staff and communities who struggled with poverty before the pandemic and needed an extra helping hand.

Cher’s kindness towards animals was demonstrated in 2020 when she was instrumental in freeing ‘the world’s loneliest elephant’. Captive in a zoo in Pakistan, Kaavan the elephant remained while animals around him were sold or died, including his companion elephant. Mistreated and isolated, the elephant developed health problems and became angry and aggressive.

Cher released the song “Walls” to bring awareness to Kaavan’s plight, and soon a Pakistan High Court ordered the elephant’s release. The singer even travelled to Pakistan to secure Kaavan’s freedom and safe transportation to a sanctuary in Cambodia.

Emma is a passionate activist and advocate for environmental issues, women’s rights and fighting poverty. In 2014, the Harry Potter star joined UN Women as a Goodwill Ambassador and has donated to charities like ActionAid, Greenpeace and CARE.

She also joined One Young World as a counsellor and has a scholarship named after her, set up for trailblazers fighting for gender equality and leading positive change. 

The Irish actor is well-known for his philanthropy, having both donated to charities and created a foundation of his own.

The Colin Farrell Foundation is “committed to transforming the lives of individuals and families living with intellectual disability through education, awareness, advocacy, and innovative programs”.

He also ran a marathon recently in Dublin, raising £644,000 for a charity that helps people with a rare skin condition.

A lesser-known story about the actor is that in 2007 he helped a man out of homelessness by taking him to a clothes shop and buying him whatever he wanted. Colin also drew over $800 from an ATM machine and gave it to the person to help him begin again.