Celebrities Leading Global Activism in 2025
Celebrity activism has evolved far beyond attending red carpets with a cause attached. In 2025, many well-known figures are not just voicing opinions from a distance — they are showing up, funding grassroots projects, lobbying governments, taking part in protests, and using their platforms to shift policy and culture. Below are some of the most influential voices this year, and how they are putting their beliefs into action.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio remains one of the most consistently active celebrity voices in environmental advocacy. His foundation continues to fund large-scale conservation projects supporting Indigenous land defenders and rainforest protection, and he regularly addresses major climate summits and COP gatherings. DiCaprio uses his global platform to call for structural climate action, and is one of the few celebrities whose advocacy routinely reaches policymakers as well as the general public.
Pattie Gonia (Wyn Wiley)
Pattie Gonia has become one of the most dynamic activist figures in global climate justice. Blending environmental advocacy with drag performance, they host live “eco-drag” shows, collaborate directly with grassroots climate groups, and lead outdoor community events that highlight how climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Pattie also runs digital campaigns that educate younger audiences on sustainability, queer inclusion, and climate justice.
Pattie Gonia
Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley is known not just for speaking about climate and Indigenous rights, but for physically showing up. She has been arrested while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline and continues to attend environmental demonstrations and community organizing events. Woodley works closely with sustainable living organizations and has long been involved in campaigns that connect environmental health with human rights and Indigenous sovereignty.
Shailene Woodley
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie has spent decades working on refugee advocacy, and in 2025 she remains actively engaged in international field work and refugee support. She has served as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and continues to visit displacement camps, work with lawmakers on asylum policy, and help fund education and protection programs for families affected by war and humanitarian crises. Jolie’s activism is grounded in longevity and presence — she consistently goes where most public figures never set foot.
Angelina Jolie
Greta Thunberg
While not a traditional celebrity, Greta Thunberg has become one of the most recognizable public figures in modern activism. In 2025, she continues to organize climate strikes, speak at global political gatherings, and challenge policymakers directly. Thunberg’s activism remains rooted in youth-led organizing, standing alongside students and grassroots groups rather than operating as a distant symbol of the movement.
Image: Flickr, appaloosa
John Boyega
John Boyega became a powerful activist voice during the Black Lives Matter protests, and his commitment has continued. He has spoken openly about racism in the film industry, supports diversity initiatives in casting and production, and collaborates with organizations working for equality and representation. Boyega’s activism combines public speeches, community support, and economic investment in new, more equitable film structures.
John Boyega
Emma Watson
Emma Watson continues to advocate for gender equality and workers’ rights through campaigns associated with UN Women and other international organizations. She has focused on ethical fashion, fair labour conditions, and women’s leadership access. Watson frequently engages in policy conversations, interviews activists and academics, and lends her platform to lesser-heard voices rather than centering herself in the movement.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of the most visible global voices in child welfare and education advocacy. As a longtime UNICEF ambassador, she regularly travels to refugee camps, children’s health programs, and education centers. Chopra uses her worldwide audience to highlight issues affecting girls in crisis zones, often featuring frontline workers and humanitarian voices on her platforms to ensure stories are told by the people living them.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas Wedding Look
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo has long been one of Hollywood’s most vocal environmental activists, working especially on anti-fracking campaigns. He has appeared at town halls, legislative sessions, and anti-pollution demonstrations across the United States. Ruffalo co-founded groups supporting clean water protections and climate justice, directly funding environmental lawsuits and organizing efforts to hold polluting industries accountable.
Mark Ruffalo
Lily Cole
Lily Cole blends her public profile with on-the-ground work in ethical fashion, sustainability, and environmental education. Cole has supported circular-economy initiatives, written books on climate responsibility, and collaborates with designers and NGOs to reduce waste in the fashion industry. Her activism frequently focuses on consumer choices and systemic change in supply chains.
Lily Cole
The Rise of Action-Based Celebrity Influence
What differentiates these figures in 2025 is their commitment not just to speaking out, but to showing up — in protests, shelters, disaster zones, legal hearings, boardrooms, and community gatherings. They partner with experts, elevate frontline voices, and often finance the work they support.
Celebrity activism is shifting from symbolic to participatory — and in many cases, that shift is helping more communities get the resources, visibility, and political space they need.
