Celebrities. Some of the most beautiful people on earth. Sometimes insanely talented at what they do, and sometimes a bit confusing to why we all know their names. We see their faces everywhere, and think we know their every move and everything about them. We admire their work, analyze their fashion choices, and gush over their red carpet looks, wondering who is dating who. It can be hard to remember that behind the façades of the characters they play, that sometimes they have those qualities too- they are mothers, academics, writers, doctors, and even real-life superheroes. Here are 15 celebrities who have performed acts that make them real-life super heroes, and who all give us a really good reason to look up to them.
15 Matthew McConaughey- Saved animals and a little girl
McConaughey has a slew of real life superhero moments to pick from. During the Toronto International Film Festival, a woman went into seizures during a screening. The star gave the unconscious woman mouth to mouth, with Toronto police later commenting he had saved her life.
In LA he helped scare off a coyote that had been circling a little girl, and he has also saved animals from being hurt, including a kitten and a baby seal. He also founded the just keep livin foundation to help young men and women make healthy choices and lead active lives, and auctioned off a 1971 Corvette Stingray, with all proceeds going to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
14 Jamie Foxx- Pulled someone out of a burning car
Jamie Foxx might be the most recent real life hero, as in January in Los Angeles he pulled someone out of a burning car. The car had hit the drainage ditch, rolled over several times, and erupted into flames. Two witnesses- one of them being Jamie, and the other an off-duty paramedic- rushed to the truck, overturned it, broke the window, cut the seatbelt, and pulled the driver out. While Foxx initially did not comment on the rescue, witnesses and police press releases confirms Foxx’s involvement, and Foxx has since commented, saying he does not think his actions were heroic.
13 Harrison Ford- Rescued hikers
Ford is more than well known for his roles as Indiana Jones and Han Solo, but he’s just as much of an action star in real life. Ford is an airplane and helicopter pilot, and has put these skills to use rescuing hikers, including 13 year old Boy Scout Cody Clawson, who was lost overnight in Yellowstone National Park. He is chairman of the Young Eagles, which educates children about aviation, and has received several aviation awards. In a less action role sense, he is also active about environmental issues, and supports professional archaeology associations.
12 Vin Diesel- Rescued children
In another case of celebs helping people escape from burning car wrecks, Vin Diesel was on hand to help an entire family escape from their car when it burst into flames. He had been out in Hollywood riding his motorcycle, when he stopped, helped two children get out of the back of the car, and then helped direct the adult passenger on how to get out. Shortly after the entire car was engulfed.
11 Kate Winslet- Saved Richard Branson’s family
In August 2011, Kate Winslet and her family were staying on Richard Branson’s private island. In the middle of the night, lightning struck the great house, and a fire started, which was fanned by the winds from Hurricane Irene. Kate not only ensured her children got to safety, but also assisted in saving Branson’s 90 year old mother Eve, with some accounts saying she went back into the house, lifted her up, and carried her to safety. There were 20 guests in the house, which was completely destroyed by the fire, but thankfully everyone got out ok.
10 Cuba Gooding Jr- Assisted the victim until an ambulance arrived
In 2007 Cuba Gooding Jr was out in Hollywood on his way to pick up dinner for his family when he heard gunshots at a nearby restaurant, and saw a young male staggering out of the restaurant bleeding. Cuba ran over to the victim, who had collapsed, and shouted for towels, so that he could put pressure on the wound and help stem the bleeding. He flagged a passing police car, and assisted the victim until an ambulance arrived.
9 Garth Brooks- Helped evacuate two boys from their home
Country singer Garth Brooks sprang into action in 2000 in Oklahoma during a fast moving grass fire, when he and another passerby helped evacuate two boys from their home, which was in the path of the blaze. Garth had been passing the house as the blaze approached, and stopped to ensure no one was left inside. After getting the boys out, he drove them nearby to safety, where the boys were told by a neighbour who had saved them! In total the blaze engulfed 600 acres.
8 Steve Buscemi- Helping after 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy
Before becoming an actor, Buscemi was a firefighter for several years. Besides that in and of itself, Buscemi returned to his Manhattan station the day after 9/11 to help in any way he could- and not for any sort of publicity, declining interviews and photographs. He didn’t want any recognition, and spent several days working 12 hour shifts along with everyone else, rescuing people from the rubble. He also assisted in the clean-up efforts after Superstorm Sandy, and has also been an active voice on behalf of fire fighters, condemning the closure of several fire halls in New York, and was even arrested for protesting their closure.
7 Dr. Ken Jeong- Giving medical advice
Like Buscemi, Ken Jeong had a career before he became an actor and stand-up comedian. Jeong spent a number of years as a practicing physician, while moon lighting as a stand-up comic, before getting his big break in Knocked Up and The Hangover. Despite his success, he is still licensed to practice medicine in California, and often ends up giving medical advice and diagnoses on set, including when Hangover co-star Ed Helms fell ill in Thailand. He has also starred in an American Heart Association video about hands only CPR, and his wife is also a practicing physician.
6 Prince William- Saving people in need
Prince William- yes, the future King- is an air ambulance pilot, and was a pilot with the RAF, and often participates in missions where he has saved multiple people by helicopter. Known as Captain William Wales, he works the same four days on, four days off as everyone else on the crew, and has responded to calls including heart attacks, car crashes, drownings, shooting victims, and stranded hikers, including in dangerous mountain conditions. William donates his salary to charity, and is also involved with a great deal of other charity work.
5 Dustin Hoffman- There to the rescue
In April 2012 Hoffman was taking a stroll through London’s Hyde Park, when he saw that a jogger had collapsed and was foaming at the mouth. While another person called an ambulance, Hoffman stayed with the 27 year old man, who was suffering cardiac arrest, and acted as the main witness when the ambulance arrive, detailing what had happened. After ensuring the patient- who needed emergency surgery- was stabilized, Hoffman made sure to tell the paramedics what a great job they had done.
4 Emma Watson - Charity work
Being a hero doesn’t always mean springing into action, but can also mean being an advocate and raising awareness. Angelina Jolie is well known for her charity work, and is a UNHCR goodwill ambassador who has carried out more than 40 field missions, including in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Haiti. She has launched multiple organizations and initiatives, and donated millions to causes she cares about. Her openness about her cancer risks and choice to get surgery has also seen a spike in testing and screenings. Emma Watson also supports several charities, is a UN for Women Goodwill Ambassador, spearheading the HeForShe campaign for gender equality, and has collaborated with People Tree, an ethical and environmentally friendly clothing line.
3 Rihanna and more- Social Media Heroes
Many celebrities have helped save lives from behind the computer screen, reaching out to followers, helping find donors, or alerting police about suicide threats. Rihanna has used her Twitter account to help people find donors for bone marrow transplants, including for 5 year old fan Jasmina. One call for donors by Rihanna meant 5000 more donors came forward at DKMS. Demi Moore has used her account to help police locate people who had posted suicide messages. Sometimes social media really is good for something other than cat pictures and memes.
2 Tom Cruise and more- Car crash heroes
Jamie Foxx and Vin Diesel aren’t the only celebrities who have helped save people from car crashes. In LA Tom Cruise called an ambulance after witnessing a hit and run, and later paid the victim’s hospital bills when he found out she could not afford them, and has played similar roles other times, including on a road trip with then-wife Katie Holmes. Patrick Dempsey rescued a teen from a wreck near his Malibu home, and Zoe Saldana helped a woman in an LA area crash. Mark Harmon also rescued two teens from a burning crash near his home.
1 Tom Hanks, Gerard Butler and more - Saved people from drowning
Car crashes aren’t the only emergencies that lots of celebrities seem to be on hand to help out with. Many celebrities have helped save people from drowning, including Tom Hanks, Gerard Butler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Major League Baseball player Nomar Garciaparra. Arnold saved a man at a California beach in 2004, Garciaparra rescued two women who had fallen into Boston Harbor, and Tom Hanks rescued a man from drowning in 2002 after hearing his screams for help while out for a jog. Gerard Butler, while on a picnic with his mom, saved a boy from drowning in a river near Taymouth Castle in Scotland.
Sources: wgal.com
