Look To The Stars News: Tom Selleck

David Carradine's Food 4 Africa Legacy

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:30:00 -0000

David Carradine, star of the television show Kung Fu and a plethora of films, passed away on June 3rd, 2009, aged 72 years old.

A funeral service took place on Saturday June 13 for the beloved late celebrity. Many other stars came out to show their respect for a man who made a name for himself doling out words of wisdom as Kwai Chang Caine on the television series Kung Fu. Among the celebrities in attendance were Jane Seymour, Rob Schneider, Lucy Liu, Tom Selleck, Daryl Hannah and many others.

The sky was gloomy as the white hearse which carried David Carradine’s body delivered the actor to his final resting place.

Carradine was known for his work on television, in movies and also for his support in all aspects of art and entertainment. He was a friend and patron to Food 4 Africa, a charity organization that seeks to give children one vitamin and mineral enriched meal a day while also teaching their caregivers about the importance of nutrition. Donations to the charity can be made here.

The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.

Mr. Carradine will be missed by many because he was a star off stage as well as on. We here at Look to the Stars send the family of David Carradine our deepest sympathies and condolences during their time of bereavement.

Stars Sign Posters For Charity Foundation

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Now is the time to deck your walls with a selection of movie posters signed by your favorite stars in a new charity auction being run by ClothesOffOurBack.org.

Going under the hammer are a Brokeback Mountain poster signed by the late Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, a Big Love poster and DVD set signed by Bill Paxton, a Philadelphia poster signed by Denzel Washington, and SAG Conversation Series posters signed by stars such as Kirk Douglas, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Greg Grunberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Holly Hunter, Rob Schneider, Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Selleck, Forest Whitaker, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Ben Affleck, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Tim Robbins, Ali Larter, Jesse Spencer and many more.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation, an organization that offers substantive services to Guild members in its mission to assist, educate and inspire actors in their professional endeavors and to give back to the communities in which they live. Founded in 1985, the non-profit SAG Foundation is governed independently of the Guild and funded through the generosity of grants, donations, volunteering and fundraising efforts.

The auction runs until March 23 and can be accessed here.

Philanthropy Spotlight: Harrison Ford

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Look To The Stars’ Features Editor Tim Saunders takes an in-depth look at the career and philanthropy of Harrison Ford.

Unlike Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford actually likes snakes. In fact he likes a lot of the creatures that most people fear. He even has a Californian spider, Calponia harrisonfordi, named after him, its eight hairy legs enough to give almost anyone nightmares, and a South American ant also bears his name. Snakes of all sorts make their home around the white-painted ranch house he built himself in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and they slither and slide their way in and out of the shrubs and pockets of grass that dot the barren landscape.

The mountains that surround Ford’s house are among the most rugged in the state. Their jagged peaks create a feeling that the whole world exists within their confines, and the arid plains that run between them consistently record some of the most extreme temperatures in the United States. It is an area that conjures up images of America’s pioneers, of Lois and Clarke, of place names such as Owl Creek, Dead Indian Pass, and the Big Horn Mountains, romantic visions of a past long gone.

“My interests in the environment came from being in Jackson,” Ford once said to the Sunday Times. "I’d purchased land and I had a sense of stewardship about the place, because the majesty of nature is so apparent there. I have a sense of awe, a sense that nature is so complex and fascinating that it’s as close as I’ve come to understanding the notion of divinity.”

Almost half of Ford’s 800-acre ranch is now a nature reserve. It was a decision the actor found easy.

“It sort of fit this picture I had in my head that I’d carried around for a long time,” he said. “A picture of what the American paradise would look like. Woods and streams and stuff like that. Clear, mountain air…”

Ford has always had a high regard for the environment. As a child he wanted to be either a forest ranger or a farmer. Adventure was his calling, but little was to be found around his home. He grew up in a liberal, middle-class family in suburban Illinois. His father, Christopher, was a successful advertising executive and part-time actor who did commercial voice-overs. His mother, Dorothy, was a former radio actress.

In 1960, at the age of 18, Ford entered Ripon College, a well-known arts school in Wisconsin. But he lacked both the drive and enthusiasm to graduate, and preferred to spend time in theatre groups.

“I found a purpose in becoming an actor that I hadn’t found in any other ways,” he said. “In college, I found a group of people with whom I could work on a common idea. I learnt to act… I had always loved stories – emotionally I’m drawn to them – and acting is storytelling. So acting is what I chose to do.”

After registering as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war, Ford moved his young family – which included a wife and two young sons – to California, where he started attracting bit parts in B-grade westerns and TV shows. But the work simply did not put food on the table for the Ford family, and the struggling actor turned his back on his fledging career to concentrate on another vocation – carpentry.

After buying a cheap house in the Hollywood Hills, Ford began remodelling and quickly became adept with the hammer and saw. The venture soon turned lucrative when a friend recommended Ford to Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, who needed a new recording studio. The job led to others, and eventually Ford became a “carpenter for the stars.”

A chance encounter with George Lucas led Ford to return to acting with a role in American Graffiti. A few words from Steven Spielberg then prompted Lucas to hire Ford for the role of Han Solo, the wise cracking space smuggler in his next feature, Star Wars.

The rest, as they say, is history. In the wake of Star Wars’ success, Ford appeared in a number of films, but it was Spielberg’s decision to cast him in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – a role originally written for Tom Selleck – that shot Ford into orbit. Of the 20+ films he has had a leading role in since Star Wars, 9 of them have grossed over $100 million each. Frantic, Blade Runner, The Fugitive, and Air Force One have all led to his reputation as one of cinema’s greatest action heroes.

Ford has been married twice, and is currently in a relationship with actress Calista Flockhart. The former Ally McBeal star is an avid and enthusiastic supporter of causes such as breast cancer research and domestic violence, and Ford often accompanies her to events to raise money and awareness of social issues. In November 2007, the pair joined Kirk Douglas in Los Angeles to provide Thanksgiving meals for the homeless.

But Ford’s overwhelming passion is the environment. In 1991, he was introduced to Conservation International, one of the world’s leading environmental research groups, and was deeply impressed with the intellectual capacity of its directors. Founded in 1987, Conservation International provides a fund for scientists in 30 countries to identify and overcome biodiversity threats. It focuses its efforts on tropical wilderness areas, marine areas, and major wetlands, and since its inception has donated over $100 million to conservation partners around the world.

Ford joined the ranks of Conservation International as a board member, and soon became vice chairman. He became actively involved in the organization’s design and growth, and now sits on the Executive Committee.

“I was looking for a way to give back,” he explained to the Epoch Times. “What kept my support is their success and the inventiveness of their strategies.”

He calls the battle for conservation ‘a war without an evil enemy’ and believes that it can be won. ‘What we do today will set the course and the example for generations to come.’
Besides his work with Conservation International, Ford also serves as the first ‘airborne watchdog’ for the environmental group Riverkeeper, which identifies and prosecutes polluters of the Hudson River. He patrols the waterway in his helicopter and in 2002 received a Lindbergh Award for his efforts.

Flying is another passion for the actor. In 2004, Ford became the Honorary Chairman of Young Eagles, a program designed to give children a chance to fly in an aircraft for free. The initiative was launched in 1992, and has since flown over 1.3 million children, with volunteer pilots covering all of the costs. Ford has flown over 280 children in his own time, showing them the wide-open plains and rugged mountain areas of America. He says it is the best way to educate young people about nature, and about themselves.

“One of the wonderful things about aviation is that freedom and responsibility are great things for kids to be exposed to,” he told Airport Journals. “To be able to see the world in a three-dimensional way, and to give them a sense of the possibility that they might enjoy that freedom themselves, if they work for it.”

Since joining Conservation International over 16 years ago, Harrison Ford has donated large amounts of time, money, and land to conservation issues. He is also the honorary chairman for the Indianapolis Prize, one of the world’s leading awards for animal conservation. In return, he has received a whole swag of honours himself, including the Jules Verne Spirit of Nature Award, the KT Hurley Award for his work helping young people with their conservation projects, the World Ecology Award from the International Center for Tropical Ecology, the Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Harvard Medical School, and the Good Steward Award from the US House of Representatives. He claims these honours more than make up for the fact he has never won an Oscar.

But then, Harrison Ford isn’t really the sort of man who likes being in the limelight, and prefers to let his movies and actions speak for him.

If there is one thing the Indiana Jones star does want, it is for people to have a long hard look at themselves.

“We’re losing species at a rate that’s not been seen before; and it’s a result of human interference,” he said to Sunday Times Magazine. “I have four children and two grandsons. I feel responsible for tending to things I can affect as a private person, not as a celebrity. I can’t fix the world, but it’s our duty to help how we can. We have a moral responsibility for what we do as individuals. We have to accept it.”

Tom Selleck Named As Spokesman For Vietnam Veterans Education Center

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Actor Tom Selleck has joined the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund as national spokesman for the new Education Center being built on the National Mall, said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Memorial Fund.

Selleck, whose recent television credits include his Emmy-nominated recurring role in the “Jesse Stone” movie of the week franchise, which airs on CBS with a new installment premiering on March 1, “Jesse Stone: Thin Ice,” and “Boston Legal,” is best known for his work on the television show “Magnum, P.I.” in the 1980s. The series was heralded in the veterans’ community as the first positive media portrayal of Vietnam veterans.

“When Magnum, P.I. came out, it constituted the first positive portrayal of Vietnam veterans in the media, which meant a great deal to those of us who served,” recalled Scruggs. In 1988, Magnum’s trademark wardrobe became part of the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C. “When we were looking for someone to help us raise awareness of this important project, Tom’s name came up right away.”

Selleck is a Vietnam-era veteran, having served in the 160th Infantry of the California Army National Guard. He feels a close connection to those who served, and especially to a friend who is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

“Ron Montapert was my friend. Like many people our age, he went to Vietnam, but he didn’t come home,” said Selleck. “His name is on the Memorial, and I think of him every time I go there. For him, and for all the others whose names are on The Wall, for all those people who are missed every day by their friends and loved ones, I want to do all I can to get the word out about what is being planned for the Education Center.”

Selleck has been in communication with the Memorial Fund since last year, but needed to wrap up work on his latest film, “Jesse Stone: No Remorse,” before beginning his work to promote the Education Center.

The Education Center at The Wall is a project developed by the Memorial Fund to help the millions of annual visitors learn about the Memorial, as well as the Vietnam War. While still in the planning stages, exhibits will include a wall of photographs of those whose names are on The Wall, a selection of the over 100,000 items that have been left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a timeline of key military events in the Vietnam War, rotating exhibits and a resource center, where visitors can find in-depth information. A section of the Center will illustrate the legacy of service demonstrated by the American people, showing images of those who served in all of America’s conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq. The Center will be built under ground near the Vietnam Veterans and Lincoln Memorials.

It is estimated to cost $75 million to $100 million to build. Nearly $18 million has been raised so far, including a $10 million lead gift from Time Warner.

The capital campaign to raise money for and awareness about the Center is being kicked off this year, and Selleck, as well as other celebrities, will be filming public service announcements in early February to raise awareness for the project.

Also, Selleck will be in Washington in March for the unveiling of the new trailer for The Wall That Heals, the half-scale replica of The Wall that travels around the country, bringing the messages of healing and education to people who may not otherwise be able to visit the memorial in Washington. There are several replicas of The Wall in existence, but The Wall That Heals is the only one with a traveling museum. The museum is housed in the trailer that is used to transport the replica between communities. This year, the entire exhibit has been revamped by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the museum design firm that is also planning the exhibits for the Memorial Center. This makes the new Wall That Heals museum a smaller version of what is being planned for the Center. Selleck will be on hand for the ceremony on March 26 to unveil the new museum to the public and to talk about the Education Center.

Berry, Selleck Run/Walk For Women

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:05:05 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

Look to the Stars is very proud of our own Crystal A. Johnson , who took part in the weekend’s Revlon Run/Walk.

The 15th EIF Annual Revlon Run/Walk in Los Angeles took place Saturday Morning, kicked off by Halle Berry, Tom Selleck and Dancing With the Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba strapping on their shoes for a great cause. The charity raises money to help in the fight against breast cancer.

However, I was not prepared for how touching it would be to see an ocean of walkers sporting tags or shirts dedicated to the memory of a loved one. Immediately, one is stricken with the gravity of the mission. Coverage of this event was double duty for me because I participated as a walker for the first time. My grandmother, Josephine Wilson had a mastectomy in the 60’s and was a proud survivor until a ripe old age.

At the completion of the race, walkers and runners entered the LA Colliseum. By the time many of the walkers finished, 80’s classic group the Go Go’s were on stage performing hit tunes. Belinda Carlisle was looking great and still has the beat. Jesse McCartney also performed. Other stars such as Days of Our Lives’ Deidre Hall and actor Jonathan Hensley also showed their support.

The EIF Revlon Run/Walk happens annually in New York and Los Angeles.

Picture: Alexandra Wyman, WireImage.com

Halle Berry, Jonas Brothers Support Revlon Run/Walk For Women

Wed, 07 May 2008 09:59:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Pop-Rock band Jonas Brothers, took time out during a recent guest appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to sign an Epiphone guitar, courtesy of Gibson Guitars in support of the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Revlon Run/Walk For Women. The guitar, along with the pen Kevin, Joe and Nick used to sign it, is currently available on CharityFolks.com.

The Revlon Run/Walk for Women takes place annually in New York and Los Angeles, with the 15th Annual Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk for Women Los Angeles taking place this Saturday, May 10. Our own Crystal A. Johnson is set to take part in this celebrated event. The New York Run/Walk took place on May 3rd.

Hosting the LA event this year are Halle Berry, Tom Selleck, Beau Garrett and Carrie Ann Inaba. Funds raised help further research into finding a cure for women’s cancers. For more information, visit the LA Run/Walk For Women website.

(Photo copyright ABC)

Celebrities Put Their Votes Where Their Hearts Are

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:44:49 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Celebrity endorsement and music have been essential features of political campaigns for the last 70 years. One of the earliest examples dates back to 1932, when Franklin D. Roosevelt used “Happy Days Are Here Again” as the theme song to his first presidential campaign. It eventually became the unofficial anthem for the Democrats, was used for years afterwards, and set a new standard in the way elections were campaigned.

Jump forward to 1960 and you find crooner Frank Sinatra openly supporting the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy by singing a specially revised version of “High Hopes”. Jump forward further and you will hear the Republicans of 1988 singing the chorus of Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (although McFerrin later asked them to stop using it).

And who can forget Bill Clinton blowing his saxophone along to Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” in 1992?

In 2008, it looks as though celebrity endorsement and music are set to be important parts of the Presidential Election once again, with a number of celebrities throwing their support into candidates’ campaigns. But although many stars are openly backing particular campaigns, their message this year has a deeper meaning.

“If we want to stop the war, if we want to get the economy better, I think that young people need to understand they have to take matters into their own hands,” said Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. “It is really like waking up a sleeping giant.”

The 38-year-old Hip Hop star and fashion designer believes that it is more important than ever for young people to go out and vote, and that the voice of youth will be an defining factor in this year’s election.

“A lot of young people have decided that this is their future. This president is going to decide their future,” said Combs, who launched the Citizen Change campaign in 2004 to encourage young voters. “I didn’t really want to get in the political game but I wanted to see young people become empowered. That’s where my attention is at. To have an African-American man and a woman in, it’s going to go down in history as the most historical election. And I think that young people will have a hand in the result.”

Last Tuesday saw 20 states in America hold primary elections to determine the eventual Democratic and Republican nominees for president, with Senator Hillary Clinton up against Senator Barack Obama for the Democrats, and Senator John McCain against former Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republicans.

And it seems that all of the candidates have pulled together an impressive list of celebrity backers. McCain has received endorsements from Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tom Selleck, while Romney is being backed by the likes of Pat Boone and Donny Osmond. On the Democrats’ side, Clinton has received endorsements from Barbra Streisand, Danny DeVito, Sally Field, Magic Johnson, Steven Spielberg, and Jack Nicholson, while Obama has attracted the support of celebrities such as Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Jessica Biel, Usher, Edward Norton, Hulk Hogan, Robert DeNiro, and Forest Whitaker.

23-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson is another star to show her support for Barack Obama, and last week recorded a message that was played to hundreds of voters in California over the telephone. She stated in the message that a vote for the Illinois senator was the last chance to “turn a page on the polarizing politics of the past”. This was followed by George Clooney adding his name to the supporters list at the annual Oscar Nominees’ Lunch last week.

“I’ve been an Obama guy for a year and a half and I’m very excited by his campaign,” he said. “It just seems that the more time he’s out there, his numbers keep growing. So I’m very, very encouraged.”

Johansson has also showed her support by taking part in the massive new internet campaign to increase the youth vote for Barack Obama. Led by Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, the campaign features a music video that is taking YouTube by storm. Yes We Can took the singer two days to record and film, and has attracted almost 2 million views since it was released last Friday.

The Hip Hop star was inspired to write the song after watching Obama’s speech following the Democrat’s loss to Clinton in the New Hampshire primary election.

“It was as if he was talking to me,” said will.i.am. “It was as if he was talking to and defending everything that made me who I am. I took that speech, and I wanted everyone else to be inspired by that speech as I was.”

The song features Obama’s speech set to music, and includes appearances by John Legend, Kate Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Herbie Hancock. Although it was not commissioned by Obama, he saw it on Saturday and has embraced it.

“After nearly a year on the campaign trail, I’ve seen a lot of things that have touched me deeply, but I had to share this with you,” Obama’s wife, Michelle, said in an e-mail to supporters. “Sharing this video, which was created by supporters, is one more way to help start a conversation with your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else who will be voting soon about the issues important to them in this election.”

But will.i.am insists the point of the song is not just to stir up votes for the first-term senator, but to “remind people how powerful they are. The idea of ‘Yes We Can’ doesn’t stop because he doesn’t win.”

There are currently several organizations that are being backed by celebrities to encourage young people to vote, including Declare Yourself and Rock the Vote, both of which are using the internet to raise the awareness of youth prior to this year’s election.

“The Internet and technology empowers people,” said will.i.am. “And the ‘Yes We Can’ song is proof that they don’t need a big record company or a big movie company . . . to go out and captivate people’s attention.”

But whether celebrity endorsement actually affects the votes is still a matter of contention. According to a study carried out by the Pew Research Centre in September, “political endorsements generally have little impact on voter preference”.
The research found almost 70% of Americans polled said that if told a celebrity endorsed a presidential candidate, it would not affect their vote. And of the 30% who said an endorsement would influence them, 15% said it would make them more likely to vote for the endorsed candidate while the other half said they would be less likely to do so.

But if history is anything to go by, it won’t stop the celebrities from having their say.

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