Hollywood stars turn fame into charity work across health, environment

Hollywood actors and filmmakers have built philanthropic projects spanning children's welfare, cancer research and environmental protection, often drawing on personal experience. In early August, Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:Wild organization launched a conservation initiative with Jeff Bezos's Earth Fund, pledging an initial $200 million aimed at preventing the extinction of roughly 100 species. Keanu Reeves, whose sister underwent leukemia treatment, founded a charity supporting cancer research and pediatric patients. The organization does not carry his name, a structure that keeps the total size of his donations undocumented. Paul Newman, who established Newman's Own in 1982, directed all of the company's profits to charity and opened the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in 1988 for children with serious illnesses. Jackie Chan launched a scholarship program in Hong Kong in 1988 and set up a second foundation in 2004 to fund schools and supplies in poor regions of China. He later raised millions of dollars for relief efforts following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and the 2011 Japan earthquake. Harrison Ford has worked with Conservation International since 1991, dedicated part of his Wyoming property to wildlife and campaigns against deforestation. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29, Michael J. Fox established a foundation in 2000 that has since provided more than $3 billion in research funding. The organization announced fresh grants totaling more than $195 million in the first part of 2026.