Star power for feminism
The modern feminist movement began in the early 20th century with Women’s Rights and the Suffragettes. In the last 100 years, it has become a global movement to ensure equal treatment for all people, regardless of gender, race, or orientation. It's a movement with which many celebrities are proud to be associated.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The former 3rd Rock from the Sun and The Dark Knight Rises actor is a long-time outspoken feminist. He champions gender equality in his projects, and encourages people, from actors to fans, to recognize the ways they can break away from “roles that are dictated to us”.
Ariana Grande
Pop icon Ariana Grande gives a vision of feminism in action in her music video “Positions,” featuring an all-female presidential cabinet. Grande is an intersectional feminist, someone who campaigns for gender, race, and 2SLBTQIA+ equality and rights. She is upfront and outspoken about her beliefs, using her platform to further the rights of all.
Harry Styles
Singer, actor, and fashion icon, Harry Styles has a huge fan base that loves him and pays attention to what he does. Styles uses his platform and popularity to speak about issues of gender equality and has been a supporter of the UN HeForShe campaign for almost a decade.
Jessica Chastain
Winner of an Academy Award for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain loves her fellow female actors, sending fellow nominees flowers during the 2022 award season. Chastain has noted that with more women in front of and behind film cameras, there will be better representation of women’s stories and possibilities.
Eddie Vedder
Since Pearl Jam’s early days in the 1990s, Eddie Vedder has been an advocate for women’s rights. He is passionate about ending violence against women and believes that a woman’s right to control over her own body is not just about women’s rights, but about human rights and autonomy.
Beyoncé
Perhaps one of the most powerful and influential feminist artists in the world, Beyoncé left little doubt about her social leanings during her 2014 VMA performance. The singer appeared in front of a giant sign reading “feminist”, and has gone on record about wanting to build community and connection with fellow female artists.
Mark Ruffalo
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s big green hero is passionate about gender equality in entertainment. Ruffalo is a champion of a woman’s right to choose with regard to birth control, citing the experiences of his mother as shaping his views on the subject.
Geena Davis
A long-time champion of gender equity, Geena Davis has founded both the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and the Bentonville Film Festival. Both organizations promote diversity and gender equality in film and other media. Davis’s commitment to gender equality garnered her a humanitarian award at the 2019 Governor’s Awards.
John Legend
A beloved musician, John Legend has worked for diversity and equity in many arenas, not just feminism. He believes that gender equity can only lead to a better world for all, and that all men ought to be feminists.
Cate Blanchett
Lord of the Rings star Cate Blanchett is not afraid to call out misogyny in public, and has commented on gender inequality in Hollywood numerous times. Blanchett sees anti-feminist ideas as being about those in power being afraid to share it, and works to overcome these ideas in entertainment and culture.
Jon Hamm
Although Jon Hamm is perhaps best known for the role of Don Draper on Mad Men, the actor doesn’t share any of his womanizing alter ego’s beliefs about equality. A former teacher, Hamm advocates for the importance of teaching young people about the consequences of gender-based violence, and how to avoid it.
Kristen Bell
A celebrated comedic actress, in 2016 Kristen Bell appeared in a spoof advertisement that took on the gender pay gap. Noting that women make only 77¢ for every dollar a man makes, the spoof touted women as a cheap and affordable source of labor. Clearly a critique of gender inequity, Bell champions feminism and the path it paves to equality.
Chris Martin
The lead singer of the band Coldplay, Chris Martin uses his international popularity to work to end inequality for girls and women around the world. Martin and the band have worked with the organization Global Citizen to highlight gender inequality and push to change repressive laws and discrimination.
Christopher Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lena Dunham
The creator of HBO’s Girls, Lena Dunham is an outspoken advocate for women’s issues. A proud feminist, Dunham celebrates equality through not only her television work, but also essays, social media, books, and two 2022 films, Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy.
Ian Somerhalder
Former Lost and The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder is one of the founders of the “Girls Impact the World Film Festival”, a yearly showcase for high school and college filmmakers. Somerhalder, through the festival and his advocacy, envisions a world where anyone can be whatever they want to be, and can follow their passions regardless of gender.
Shonda Rhimes
A popular and critically acclaimed showrunner and creator, Shonda Rimes is perhaps best known for the long-running hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Rimes’ shows often feature empowered and engaging female characters who, while not always perfect, are given the freedom and respect to be themselves.
Chris Hemsworth
Thor star Chris Hemsworth seems to have learned some lessons in feminism from his young daughter, who encourages her dad to paint his nails and dress up in heels to play with her. Hemsworth hopes for a future where his daughter can be whatever she wants to be.
Emma Watson
Another example of an intersectional feminist, Emma Watson has been very vocal in her support of both the international feminist movement and the Queer and Trans rights movements. Through the UN, Watson launched the HeForShe campaign, encouraging men to join and support feminist movements globally.
Will Smith
Celebrity Will Smith has been successful in many arenas through his career and has a large fan base. He uses his voice to put forth ideas of equality for women, noting that he learned through his daughter the importance of a woman having control over her own body.
Jennifer Lawrence
The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook star has said feminist shouldn’t be a scary word: “It just means equality.” Lawrence has spoken publicly, through Lena Dunham’s newsletter, about pay equity in Hollywood, and the unrealistic expectations in the industry that often deterred her from negotiating a higher wage.
Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV, Flickr
Ashton Kutcher
Although Ashton Kutcher is well-known for his lovable-yet-dumb roles in The 70s Show and Dude, Where’s My Car?, the actor is a tireless worker in the struggle against human trafficking. Kutcher has spoken at a US Senate Committee about the impact trafficking has predominantly on women, and co-founded Thorn, an organization that uses its resources to combat child trafficking.
Charlize Theron
The star of one of the great feminist action films, Mad Max: Fury Road’s Charlize Theron has long been outspoken in her beliefs in the fair treatment of women in film. While working on Snow White and the Huntsman, Theron agitated successfully for a higher wage, equal to that of her co-star Chris Hemsworth.
Antonio Banderas
Not only has Antonio Banderas spoken out about the huge proportion of women who experience violence in their lives, he is also an advocate against age-based prejudice. Many women in entertainment see their careers stagnate after a certain age, and Banderas has been passionate in his support of experienced female actors.
Gina Rodriguez
Gina Rodriguez uses her celebrity status to further the ideals of intersectional feminism. Calling herself “not the stereotype”, Rodriguez shows that women of any background can be successful in the media, rather than just those that conform to an unattainable standard of beauty.
Jason Momoa
The Game of Thrones and Aquaman star is no stranger to being objectified for his looks and physique. This makes him keenly aware of how damaging such attitudes can be to women in entertainment, who are often only regarded for these qualities. Momoa was raised by a single mother and knows how strong and versatile women can be when given the chance.
Rowan Blanchard
The star of Disney’s Girl Meets World, Rowan Blanchard speaks to a younger generation of women about how important feminist ideas are. Blanchard is passionate about ensuring that girls and women of her generation know just how important it is to demand equity and fairness from the world around them.
Harry Belafonte
An acclaimed singer and actor, Harry Belafonte was co-chair of the Women’s March before his death in 2023. He believed that it was possible to end violence against women completely, and used his great popularity to give that message an international voice.
Tina Fey
A critically-acclaimed and award-winning comedian and writer, Tina Fey often pokes fun at the inequality in the entertainment industry, including during her time on Saturday Night Live. Fey’s 30 Rock, which she both wrote and starred in, often used humor to bring to light the problems faced by women in the media.
Forest Whitaker
A supporter of the UN #HeForShe movement, award-winning actor Forest Whitaker is a passionate feminist. Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative and believes that one of the only ways to achieve peace is to ensure that women have a voice in the global conversation.
Amy Poehler
A gifted comedian and writer, Amy Poehler is also the founder of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, an organization “dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves.” Like her pal Tina Fey, Poehler uses her comedic wit and timing to bring to light the struggles that women face not only in entertainment but in their day-to-day lives as well.
Alan Alda
Best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H, Alan Alda has been a well-known advocate for women’s equality for decades. He was proudly feminist in the 1970s, when it was not such a popular term, and views misogyny as a disease that can be cured.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington, best known for her starring role in Scandal, is an intersectional feminist, passionate about the need for equality and diversity in media and culture. She believes that increased equity in all aspects of life is a fundamental way to preserve the freedoms of a democratic way of life.
Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood’s feminism comes from a deep belief in the ability of a person to choose for themselves what is right for their own bodies and lives. If men can have control over their bodies, the former L.A. Law star doesn’t see why the case shouldn’t be the same for women.
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel has cultivated a career playing characters who go their own way regardless of what the world around them thinks. Her quirky characters reflect Deschanel’s devotion to feminism and the right of women to be whoever and however they wish to be.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy starred alongside Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, a film considered to be one of the great feminist action films. Hardy was delighted to see a role like this for a woman and has publicly wondered what entertainment would look like if more of the stereotypical men’s roles were given to women.
Margaret Cho
Another outspoken intersectional feminist, Margaret Cho’s activism brings together her identities as a woman, as a person of color, and as a queer person. Cho believes that none of these identities should mean she is less deserving of respect, and she ensures that these values inflect her life and work.
Daniel Craig
Like Jon Hamm, Daniel Craig is well-known for playing a misogynistic role, that of super spy James Bond. Craig has been vocal about his character’s damaging treatment of women and has used his popularity to draw attention to the dangers of misogynistic behavior.
Eva Longoria
A highly-regarded actor, Eva Longoria is also a founder of the Time’s Up movement, an organization that assists victims and speaks out against harassment in entertainment and other workplaces. Longoria has also supported major political figures who support ideas of equity and diversity.
Matt Damon
Using his wealth and fame as a film star, Matt Damon has co-founded the organization Water.org. The foundation empowers underprivileged individuals, a huge percentage of whom are women, to access clean water and sanitation around the world.
Amandla Stenberg
Hunger Games Star Amandla Stenberg is another young actor who speaks to their own generation about the importance of feminism. They often take roles that focus on important social equity issues and speak about issues surrounding intersectional feminism.
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