Celebrity. When we think about that word, we don't also think of the phrase "down to earth," right? But there are actually celebrities out there who could be described that way. They are not super out of touch and unreachable like many of us think. After all, celebrities are people just like us. It’s how they choose to act that determines how reachable or unreachable they are. Sure, some of them act as if they are better than everyone else because they have money. Let’s face it, we all know even non-celebrities who are like that. But many others will go above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes fans are afraid that a celebrity won’t give them the time of day, or if they do, that they will still get snubbed, ignored, or even ridiculed. Sure, that happens sometimes. But there are some celebrities that rise above all the hype. They are even more reachable than the average person who is a non-celebrity and they are using their power and prestige to bring about positive change in the world. It is pretty awesome to see. They will sign autographs, answer fan mail, and in general, are just nice and open up about their life in ways you would not expect them too. Who are these magical celebrities? Here is a snapshot of 15 celebs who are actually down to earth:
15 George Clooney
Ahhh, George Clooney. Who doesn’t love this charmer of a man who is funny, sweet, a talented actor and director, as well as now devoted husband and soon to be father?! There seems to be nothing he can do wrong. He appears to be authentic on all levels, as he shares his passionate interests through the movies he stars in, and he directs, too. He is also involved in various philanthropic causes on his own and with his wife. He was recently honored for his philanthropic efforts by Stephen Spielberg and Sandra Bullock. His efforts to shine a light on what is happening in Rwanda, Armenia, and Darfur is what shows us he really cares and wants the rest of the world to care, too. He has said that he wants to make it harder for all of us to ignore the bad things that are happening. That is when effective change can start.
14 Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck is known as one heck of an actor. But he is also known as a very kind and down to earth guy. He has not let his celebrity status go to his head, and even while handling addiction and marital issues, he has proven to be a stand-up guy. He has not tried to drag anyone’s name through the mud and only has respectful things to say about his ex, Jennifer Garner. He loves his kids, and the media is full of pictures of him and Jennifer Garner doing everyday family activities together. There is just a lot of normal family stuff going on, nothing pretentious or famous about it. He and Jennifer are trying to co-parent amicably and make the separation easier on their children. This is not something a lot of parents do, never mind if they are Hollywood celebrities or not, and so you have to give them credit for that.
13 Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner is also one heck of an actress, as well as an amazing mom. She is extremely supportive of her soon to be ex-husband Ben Affleck and is working with him to co-parent their children as amicably as possible while they are in the process of separating. She has also had nothing but positive things to say about Ben as an actor and person. The only thing she has added is that it is difficult to love someone when they are going through something tough and challenging. We have definitely all experienced that and so we can all relate to her in one way or another. In Hollywood, it takes a lot for celebrities to try and parent and be together in a very casual way with all the media attention they and their children get. This is why it is admirable to see the ones who try to parent out of the spotlight as much as they can when it is so hard to do.
12 Tom Hanks
Who doesn’t love Tom Hanks?! He is like the proverbial “boy next door” with his laugh, charm, and that adorable twinkle in his eye. He radiates that calmness and tranquility and has a great sense of humor too. He is still married to the same woman and they have been together absolutely forever. Apparently, he is a pleasure to work with on television and film, and he is just one heck of a nice guy. He seems to be the very definition of someone who has your back. And he is also one of those rare celebrities who has been known to read and respond personally to his fan mail. The fans who’ve had responses from him have had nothing but great things to say about him, like how cool he is and how nice and approachable he is too. He thanks his fans for their support and they consider him to be nice and “one of the coolest guys on the planet.”
11 Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel appears to be a little on the tough side and some people have even been intimidated by him. Really though, he appears to be an extremely kind and humble man. He loves his fans and appreciates their support. He is thankful in general for his following. He gets along with everyone on set for all his movies and does not hog the spotlight in any way, shape or form. He took it really hard when his Fast and Furious co-star and good friend Paul Walker passed away in 2013. His way of dealing with this was to pay tribute to his dear friend by naming his newborn daughter after him. Fans melted when he did this, and he endeared himself to them even more. He worked hard and never forgot his humble beginnings. He actually worked all kinds of jobs to support himself before his film roles as an actor, and later actor and director took off.
10 Sarah Michelle Geller
Sarah is best known for her role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer but has been in a lot of television shows and movies over the year. She has been very successful but is still one of the most down to earth celebrities out there. She is referred to as kind and generous by her peers, as much as by her fans. Her favorite charities are children’s ones like Mattel Children Hospital. Now that she's a mom, she has gotten her own kids involved in helping her with charitable work. She is humble about it and has a very loving way of approaching the world as an entertainer, mother, and wife. She is active in many charities and in general, is a loving person trying to do her best to make the world a better place. She has starred in many movies, but none have had any appeal to critics. She is fine with being back in television as it gives her time to raise her children.
9 Ed Sheeran
What can we say? Ed is funny, talented, and very honest and direct. People love this guy because apparently, he tells it like it is, and that is a great quality in a celebrity or even in a regular person. He works hard and is enjoying his success now, but of course his life, like show business, has ups and downs and ebbs and flows. His advice for living the best life possible is to be true to yourself, be kind, be positive, and live the life you want to live. Don’t live it for someone else. You will never be happy. He laughs at himself too and his shortcomings, and he is not afraid to point out his mistakes and remind people that we all make mistakes the only thing we can do is learn from them and live a better life after that. He is very philosophical about writing, music, and women. And he is polite and respectful and believes that everyone can begin again. What’s there not to love about Ed?!
8 Adele
Adele is another media darling and amazing down to earth singer, performer, wife, and mother. She admits she doesn’t always have all the answers and that it is okay. She admits that fame has startled her a little and caused many people in her hometown to treat her differently. This has been challenging. She has also talked about the ups and downs of balancing her career and motherhood and the importance of both in her life and how they have shaped her. She swears. She talks loud. She laughs loud. She is us, every man and woman who is not afraid to be who they are and are happy with the successes that come their way. When they fail or struggle with something, they take it in stride, which is something Adele does too. She is also not afraid to praise those in the industry that she admires, like Beyonce at the Grammy Awards several weeks ago.
7 Robert Pattison
Good looking, great actor, friendly, polite. What is there not to like about this description? The Twilight actor is also very diplomatic when talking about past films and relationships, and he will answer questions in a timely manner without causing any further problems or complications. Co-stars have described him as extremely gracious and grateful. He has not let his commercial success go to his head, which is a rarity in Hollywood as many celebrities get sucked into the celebrity machine of fame and power. He makes himself available to fans and will talk to them for a long time. He does not complain but appreciates the people who have followed his films and work. He will sign autographs day and night. It is great to see an individual who is humble and appreciates where he started from. He is selective about the film roles he takes and has made sure to never let success go to his head.
6 Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has won over many people’s hearts. Her singing and acting are incredible and heartfelt, and the world has watched her champion her way through a health scare and live out a very public breakup with long-time boyfriend Justin Bieber. She is also a spokesperson for bullying, having been bullied herself as a child. She champions the underdogs and wants them to know that they need to seek help. Everyone deserves safety, health, friendship, and for their dreams to come true. Like Robert Pattison, she makes time for her fans and happily signs autographs and takes pictures with them. She is involved in a lot of charitable causes that are close to her heart as well, such as UNICEF for St. Jude’s Research Hospital. She has used her money and fame to bring awareness to other causes close to her heart. She also urges young people to speak up for themselves and to work in peace and love together.
5 Cindy Crawford
Cindy went from an incredibly successful modeling career to becoming one of the top notch businesswomen out there by launching many of her own amazing products, including a skincare line and a furniture line. Through it all, she has maintained her down to earth personality and amazing business sense while being happily married and raising two teenage children with her husband Randy Gerber. She has always had that pleasant and polite personality, along with an organized plan for her life. She was described as being a pleasure to work with, and she has a great attitude about life and getting older. She talks about being true to who you are inside, and that is what will make you happier as you age. It’s a good life lesson for the rest of us who think that celebrities are all about surface beauty and don’t need to worry about the rest. But they are just like us. They have surface beauty and inner beauty, and it is important to balance both in order to have a happy life.
4 Keanu Reeves
This guy is an interesting character. He appreciates his money and fame but does not let it define him. Keanu has talked about some tragedies he has lived through in his life, and that money does not buy happiness. He is involved in a lot of philanthropy and charitable work. He has given millions away and believes in performing random acts of kindness. He is quite the philosopher too. He speaks about enjoying life and not stressing out on what he has in the bank. He openly admits to giving a lot of money away and living in hotels. He considers this simple living. Keanu also talks about how health is the most important thing we could have and to never take that for granted. He does things like taking the subway, has friends outside of Hollywood he gets together with on a regular basis to play hockey with, and will take the time to talk to his fans.
3 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is the ultimate rags-to-riches actor. He grew poor and worked as a janitor to help support his family who was struggling financially. He had to drop out of school to do this, only to return a few years later and was only 15! He used humor to cope with many negative feelings, and today as a successful actor, director he is branching out in other ways to help bring awareness to people about what truly authentic living is. He has also started charitable initiatives that help farmers in poor countries. He is refreshing and down to earth and has no qualms about himself as anything but lucky. He gives back to the community by giving talks or donating to charity. He believes in paying it forward and giving more than you receive. He encourages others to do the same and has quite a humanitarian spirit and way of being.
2 Will Smith
Will Smith is one of the hardest working actors out there. He also takes his role as dad and husband super seriously. He believes in movie roles that define the message he is trying to share with the world, and in being true to yourself, not in worrying about pleasing everyone around you. He has an incredible work ethic as well and has talked frankly about his failures as much as about his successes. He has even shared details about the challenges of being one-half of a celebrity couple. He has talked about how counseling and really delving deep to get to know your significant other can make or break your relationship. It has fortunately made his marriage stronger. He talks about the challenges of raising grounded children too, who know their place in the world and have confidence. This is all very transparent and makes us see he is the real thing.
1 Leonardo Dicaprio
He started out as a child actor and gradually grew into doing more complicated roles. You would think the fame and wealth would have gone to his head by adulthood, but no, he is still the same grounded person he was as a child. He does enjoy his wealth, but not by keeping it all to himself. He has been known to rent islands and throw lavish parties for his family, friends, and those closest to him. It is quite something. He is far from lonely and truly appreciates the experience of everyone he works with and is close with on a personal basis. He is all about living in the moment and being appreciative of all the blessings he has. Fame has not altered his kind nature. Some stars in his shoes would have become arrogant, rude or greedy. But not Leo. He approaches everything and everyone with kindness and compassion, and that's another reason to love him (besides his dashing good looks).
