When they’re not appearing on the big and small screen, some of the most well-known actors and actresses are lending their names, time, and pocketbooks to solve the issues of our food system. Whether its hunger, sustainability, or farming, these 16 stars are leading the discussion on food issues and highlighting the crucial changes that need to be made.
Ben Affleck – Ben Affleck is involved in Feeding America as a member of the Entertainment Council. He has volunteered at the Greater Boston Food Bank and, along with Ellen DeGeneres, launched Feeding America’s Small Change campaign in 2007. Affleck also co-wrote a Huffington Post article spotlighting the millions of food insecure Americans who no longer qualify for SNAP assistance.
Kevin Bacon – Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, are actively involved at the Food Bank for New York City in Harlem. For the last two years, they have helped prepare over 1,000 Thanksgiving meals each year for those in need.
Drew Barrymore – Drew Barrymore became a World Food Programme Ambassador Against Hunger in 2007 after witnessing the impact of the WFP’s school meals program in Kenya. In 2008, she made a USD $1million donation and has since remained a staunch advocate, meeting with policymakers and civic and business leaders to speak out about the importance of school food programs.
Halle Berry – Halle Berry joined designer Michael Kors’s WatchHungerStop campaign with the World Food Programme in 2013, which supports the organization’s school food programs. Berry traveled to Nicaragua in July of 2014 visiting two rural schools that have benefited from the campaign.
Jeff Bridges – Jeff Bridges has been an advocate for ending childhood hunger for three decades. He helped found the End Hunger Network in 1984 to put an end to childhood hunger worldwide. In 2010, Bridges became the spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry campaign and has since been working tirelessly to end childhood hunger in America. Striving to bring more light to the issue, he narrated and appeared in the documentary “A Place at the Table” in 2012.
Sir Sean Connery – In 2003, Sir Sean Connery became the first movie actor to partner with the World Food Programme to end hunger worldwide. He appeared in PSAs for the organization, highlighting how and where the WFP delivers food to those in need.
Matt Damon – Matt Damon became a spokesperson for Feeding America in 2010, joining other celebrities in a series of PSAs to tell the stories of hungry Americans.
Kristin Davis – An Oxfam global ambassador, Kristen Davis supports the GROW Campaign, which tackles food insecurity worldwide. She made two trips to Africa with the organization, bringing attention to hunger and family farming in the country.
Danny Glover – In August, Danny Glover joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1208 at Mountaire Farms poultry plant in North Carolina to rally on behalf of workers there. He has a long history of union activism and support of the United Farm Workers.
Adrian Grenier – Adrian Grenier co-founded a “lifestyle platform” called SHFT that focuses on creating a more sustainable lifestyle. A section of the site is dedicated to food and highlights choices we can make for healthier, more sustainable food.
Daryl Hannah – Daryl Hannah actively protested the closing of the South Central Farm in Los Angeles. The largest urban farm in the U.S., it was sold in 2004 and the new owners evicted farmers in 2006. Hannah appears in the 2008 Oscar-nominated documentary, “The Garden”, which tells the story of the South Central Farm and the community it supported.
Djimon Hounsou – Djimon Honsou has been an avid supporter of Oxfam since traveling to Mali in 2005 and meeting struggling farmers who were negatively affected by international trade rules. He campaigned in support of Oxfam and their position on the U.S. Farm Bill to help those farmers avoid unfair subsidies.
Eva Longoria – In 2011, Eva Longoria released her first cookbook, Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends with a focus on local, fresh ingredients and her favorite family recipes. She has also executive produced two documentaries: “The Harvest” exposes the hazardous conditions and mistreatment of child laborers in American agriculture and the newly released “Food Chains” sheds light on the abominable treatment and poverty-level wages of U.S. farmworkers.
Wendell Pierce – New Orleans native Wendell Pierce opened Sterling Farms grocery store in the Lower Ninth Ward to help relieve food deserts in the neighborhood. While the store recently closed, Pierce has plans to open other locations and is continuing the conversation on bringing healthy food to low-income areas.
Alicia Silverstone – Alicia Silverstone has long been an advocate for living sustainably. Her website, The Kind Life, encourages healthy, sustainable eating through plant-based recipes, community events, and articles covering our food system and its effects on the environment.
Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci serves as the Celebrity Ambassador Program Chair for the Food Bank for New York City. He released an Italian cookbook in 2012 and donated 10% of his advance and 25% of earnings from each book to the organization.
