Being famous can be pretty hard. A lack of privacy, people judging your every move, over the top fans, and a never ending round of interviews, roles, conventions and press. But, along with the fact it can pay pretty well, celebrities also have a lot of power and the opportunity to reach many different people through their work. And surely being adored by millions of fans can be pretty fun sometimes, right? Yet some famous people will often complain, withdraw from the public limelight, or even seem disdainful of their fans. With that in mind, here are some of the celebrities who take fame in their stride, and do a pretty good job with it.
Aaron Paul
The star of Breaking Bad is known for being very humble. He’s very accommodating to his fans, calling them a b*tch by request on Twitter, in reference to his Breaking Bad character’s catchphrase. Just taking a stroll through his Instagram account shows his fame hasn’t taken away his excitement for life. He’s always gushing about his love for the hit show that made him a household name, as well as his co-stars, wife and friends. He also helped raise $1.8 million for the Kind Campaign, a non-profit anti-bullying organization. Plus, there’s his amazing The Price Is Right appearance that shows of his personality wonderfully. (If you haven’t seen it, YouTube it right now. You won’t regret it.)
Angelina Jolie
One of the most famous women in the world, Angelina is often in the tabloids for her latest movies and her high profile relationship with Brad Pitt. But she puts her fame to good use with her humanitarian work. She has been on field missions around the world, met with refugees, donated endless amounts of money and travelled to war zones. She has built schools, worked on Asia’s Millennium Village, and funds children’s centres. She has co-chaired the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict since 2006, as well as Kids In Need Of Defence. In May 2012, Jolie joined UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in a campaign against sexual violence in military conflict zones, the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. Whatever your opinions on Brangelina, it is undeniable that Angelina Jolie has used her wealth and influence for good.
Robert Downey Jr
Iron Man himself has been through some intense personal problems as he struggled with drug addiction. However, he was able to achieve sobriety and turn his career around. He is well known for his relaxed attitude to his fanbase – instead of seeming annoyed by all the attention as some celebrities may, he often jokes around with it. He is also consistently seen interacting happily with children who are fans of his superhero alter-ego.
Jennifer Lawrence
Everyone’s favourite ‘she’s just like me!’ celebrity. J-Law’s casual attitude to fame and not taking herself too seriously is wonderfully refreshing. Whether she’s embarrassing herself in the middle of an awards show or unashamedly talking about pizza in an interview, Jennifer reminds us that celebrities are just normal people after all. And she’s not above freaking out over meeting her favourite celebrities either. She works hard to promote a healthy body image for her young fanbase, proving she’s a real A-list role model.
Tyler Posey
The star of MTV’s Teen Wolf has to deal with one of the most hard-core fanbases in television. However, he takes it all in his stride, showing real enthusiasm for his fans and job. Plus he takes a ‘I don’t care’ attitude in interviews, saying whatever is on his mind, no matter how inappropriate. Seriously funny.
Daniel Gillies
The Vampire Diaries and The Originals star Daniel Gillies has possible one of the funniest twitters on the planet (@danieljgillies). He’s often goofing around with his vampire co-stars, interacting with fans and trying to be as inappropriate as possible in interviews.
Bill Murray
Everyone knows Bill Murray. By now, everyone probably knows that he recently crashed a bachelor party to dish out some advice. Did you also know he gatecrashed a couples engagement photos? He randomly started bartending at a random place during SXSW in 2010. He showed up at a random loft party once. And there’s this: ‘I was eating at a restaurant with my friend and Bill Murray passed by, took a French fry from our basket, dipped it in ketchup, ate it. And said “No one’s going to believe you” before walking out.’ Now THIS is what you do with fame.
Emma Thompson
The British actress is an ambassador for the charity ActionAid and a supporter of Greenpeace. She also doesn’t give a damn about the rules of award shows, getting drunk at the 2014 Golden Globes and presenting an award with her shoes in her hand.
Amy Poehler
The comedy actress is forever dishing out inspiring advice. She produced a digital series with two of her friends, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles, Smart Girls at the Party. The show is focused on interviews with young women who are “changing the world by being themselves” Her YouTube series ‘Ask Amy’ gave advice to fans who sent in their questions. I mean, seriously, LOOK AT THIS INSPIRATION. ‘Don’t treat your heart like an action figure wrapped in plastic and never used. And don’t try to give me that nerd argument that your heart is a ‘Batman’ with a limited-edition silver bat-erang and therefore if it stays in its original packing it increases in value.’