Look To The Stars News: Danny DeVito

Taylor Swift Signs Elephant For Family Health International

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:29:00 -0000

As reported earlier by Look To The Stars, Family Health International is one of many charities to benefit from the current auction of celebrity-signed toy elephants organized by PROJECT ZAMBI.

Among those who have signed the elephants specifically for FHI are Taylor Swift (pictured below), the Jonas Brothers, Hugh Jackman, Heidi Klum and Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi.

“Family Health International is deeply grateful to these celebrities for lending their names to help address one of the world’s most serious problems. Their support raises awareness of the crisis and brings real help to children orphaned by AIDS in Africa—not just help to survive but to thrive,” said Al Siemens, CEO of Family Health International.

A number of other celebrities have also chosen charities to support through the auction, including George Clooney (Global Action for Children), Alicia Keys and Brooke Shields (Keep A Child Alive), Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake (African Children’s Choir), Jessica Simpson (Operation Smile), Scarlett Johansson (The Global Fund), Leonardo DiCaprio (SOS Children’s Villages), Naomi Watts (CIDRZ Foundation), James Taylor (Hole in the Wall Gang), Susan Sarandon (UNAID), Danny DeVito, Joely Fisher and Brad Garrett (Save the Children), Jennie Garth, Peter Facinelli and Glenn Close (Children of Uganda), and Barbara Walters and Denzel Washington (Save Africa’s Children).

To take part in the auction – which runs until October 15 – click here.

Will Smith's Children Support Charity Initiative

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Jaden and Willow Smith – the actor children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith – have spoken about their support for PROJECT ZAMBI, a charity initiative started by a group of Hasbro employees to help raise awareness and funds for the estimated 15 million children who have lost parents and relatives to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

“Willow and I joined Project Zambi to represent all the kids out there who want to make the world a better place,” said Jaden. “We want to encourage kids everywhere to lend a hand and join us in spreading the word about how much children who have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa need our help.”

The children have joined a host of stars – including Jessica Biel, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joely Fisher & Brad Garrett, Jennie Garth & Peter Facinelli, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, Kathy Najimy, Rhea Perlman & Danny DeVito, Graham Rahal, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Barbara Walters, Denzel Washington, and Naomi Watts – in signing toy elephants to benefit charities such as Keep A Child Alive, the African Children’s Choir, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, the Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project, the Children of Uganda, Global Action for Children, the Global Fund, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages and many more.

“Project Zambi is about kids and for kids, and it’s so important that we all learn to take care of each other,” said Willow. “Even from the other side of the world, kids in Africa will know they have friends who care about them.”

The 10-day Project Zambi Celebrity Charity Auction is being held online via eBay beginning October 5 with bidding closing on October 15. Visitors will be able to log on to www.ebay.com/projectzambi.

Celebrities Sign Elephants For Project Zambi

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

A host of celebrities have come together to be part of an online auction that features one-of-a-kind collectible elephant models.

Jessica Biel, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joely Fisher & Brad Garrett, Jennie Garth & Peter Facinelli, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, Kathy Najimy, Rhea Perlman & Danny DeVito, Graham Rahal, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Barbara Walters, Denzel Washington, and Naomi Watts are some of the stars who have signed the elephant toys for Project Zambi, a charity initiative started by a group of Hasbro employees to help raise awareness and funds for the estimated 15 million children who have lost parents and relatives to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

“It is encouraging to see that companies such as Hasbro are developing initiatives to support global health issues,” said Alicia Keys. “Through my involvement in this project, I’m proud to support [”Keep A Child Alive":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/161-keep-a-child-alive], an organization dedicated to providing care and support to children and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India by directly engaging the global public in the fight against AIDS."

One hundred percent of the sale of each auctioned elephant will be donated to the organization of the celebrity’s choice that supports children orphaned by AIDS in Africa including the African Children’s Choir, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, the Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project, the Children of Uganda, Global Action for Children, the Global Fund, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages and many more.

“The wonderful support that we’ve received from the celebrities participating in the PROJECT ZAMBI auction is a moving example of the deep concern surrounding the issue of caring for children orphaned by AIDS,” said Brian Goldner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro, Inc. “We are very hopeful and optimistic that this auction will be successful in raising awareness and generating funds that will support some of the many dedicated organizations working to make a better future for these children.”

Earlier this year, Hasbro launched PROJECT ZAMBI, a global cause initiative tied to the new special edition FURREAL FRIENDS ZAMBI THE BABY ELEPHANT toy that is dedicated to raising awareness and benefiting programs caring for children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.

Hasbro has committed to donate 50 percent of the net profits from ZAMBI THE BABY ELEPHANT — a minimum of $500,000 (in U.S. dollars) — to the PROJECT ZAMBI Fund, part of the Hasbro Children’s Fund, beginning in 2009, and hopes to expand this global campaign to include additional Hasbro products and brands in the years to come. By purchasing ZAMBI THE BABY ELEPHANT, consumers will be supporting programs that work directly with children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.

This latest initiative is a part of the work Hasbro conducts in the U.S. and around the world to help children in need through the Hasbro Children’s Fund and product donations. In 2008, Hasbro impacted approximately four million children through its charitable programs and product donations.

For more information about the PROJECT ZAMBI Celebrity Charity Auction, PROJECT ZAMBI and ZAMBI THE BABY ELEPHANT, please visit www.projectzambi.com.

The 10-day PROJECT ZAMBI Celebrity Charity Auction will be held online via eBay beginning October 5 with bidding closing on October 15. Visitors will be able to log on to www.ebay.com/projectzambi.

Siegfried & Roy Make Triumphant Return

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Famed illusionists Siegfried & Roy made their return to the stage in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 28.

The duo performed a 15 minute show at the Keep Memory Alive Foundation’s “Power of Love” gala to benefit the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute (LRBI) in Las Vegas.

“This is the goodbye we never were able to say,” Roy Horn told the Las Vegas Sun. “This is the farewell we wanted to make. Our duty now is to give back to the community that gave us so many gifts and so much love over the years. We are very much committed to the amazing work being done and the successes that will be achieved [at the Institute].”

The show was the first time the pair has appeared on stage since Horn was mauled by a tiger during a show in 2003. The tiger, Montecore, also appeared with the magicians during their show on Saturday.

Among the stars who paid up to $75,000 for a table at the dinner and show were Hilary Duff, Danny DeVito, Teri Hatcher and Steve Schirripa.

As Look To The Stars reported last year, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute has been under construction since 2007. It will aim to provide the most current research and scientific information for the prevention, early detection, treatment, education, and support of memory disorders and neurodegenerative dementia diseases. LRBI plans to “house the world’s most powerful brain doctors”, and predicts that the cure for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease will be discovered there.

Stars Pay Tribute To Paul Newman

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An awe-inspiring array of stars paid tribute to Paul Newman at a benefit gala for one of the actor’s summer camps for sick children in California last night.

Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Billy Crystal were just some of the stars who performed a reading of The World of Nick Adams, an adaptation of a number of Ernest Hemingway’s autobiographical stories at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

“We expected Paul to be with us and so this kind of turned into kind of a tribute,” said Danny Glover. “This is the first time we are doing this without Paul — there is a void there, without a doubt.”

The event, which attracted over 2,500 people, raised money for the The Painted Turtle, one of Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps for ill children.

Founded by Newman and Herb Alpert in 1999, The Painted Turtle provides the 17,000 chronically ill children in California who would otherwise be unable to attend summer camps with an empowering, renewing experience completely free of charge.

“Paul was a member of the ensemble more than anything else,” said Tom Hanks, who starred in Road To Perdition with Newman. “He didn’t care about the hierarchy, but he was a guy, quite frankly, who should have won the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Celebrities To Pay Tribute To Paul Newman

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An awe-inspiring array of stars will pay tribute to Paul Newman at a benefit gala for one of the actor’s summer camps for sick children in California next month.

Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Billy Crystal will perform a stage reading of The World of Nick Adams, an adaptation of a number of Ernest Hemingway’s autobiographical stories, written by Newman’s longtime friend A.E. Hotchner at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on October 27. Proceeds from the evening will go to the The Painted Turtle, one of Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps for ill children.

Tickets for the event are available through the City Box Office website.

Edward Norton Chats Online For Earth Day

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:46:27 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor and environmental activist Edward Norton will celebrate Earth Day 2008 today by taking part in a live online Q&A session about what is happening to the world and what people can do about it.

The session will be held at www.slate.com, and will start at 11:45am Eastern Time. Questions can be submitted to the Washington Post before the event, and topics can cover the range of environmental issues that Norton is involved with.

Norton’s passion has always been the environment, a cause he supports through regular substantial financial contributions to the Grand Canyon Trust (founded by his father), the Wilderness Society, and Earthjustice. Norton has also teamed up with oil giant and leading solar panel producer BP to develop the Solar Neighbors Program – every time a celebrity buys a solar system from BP Solar, one of Enterprise Community Partners’ low-income families gets one for free. So far, more than 25 systems have been purchased and donated – by the likes of Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, and Robin Williams.

The actor will also host two episodes of National Geographic’s Strange Days on Planet Earth on PBS on Wednesday, April 23. The episodes, titled Dangerous Catch and Dirty Secrets, will delve into issues surrounding threatened ocean life and toxic groundwater respectively.

“If I bring anything to the series, it is to tell people stories of how your average daily activities create a ripple effect that goes out into the world and comes back in ways that you can recognize, whether it’s the price of fish, or that fact that you can’t eat it anymore,” said the 38-year-old actor. “Every action we take can cause ripples. And every ripple can turn into disturbing waves of change.”

Check the PBS website to find out what time to catch this amazing program.

Siegfried And Roy's Magical Return

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:13:01 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Illusionist team Siegfried & Roy’s long awaited return to the stage has finally been scheduled, and will be their first performance since Roy was mauled by a tiger in 2003. The one-night only show, next February at the Keep Memory Alive (KMA) foundation’s “Power of Love” gala, will benefit the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute (LRBI) in Las Vegas.

Under construction since last year, the Institute will aim to provide the most current research and scientific information for the prevention, early detection, treatment, education, and support of memory disorders and neurodegenerative dementia diseases. LRBI plans to “house the world’s most powerful brain doctors”, and predicts that the cure for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease will be discovered there.

High profile galas with big name guests play a major role in KMA’s fund raising, a strategy that has worked well for founder Larry Ruvo, who named LRBI after his father, a victim of Alzheimer’s. The twelfth gala, held in February this year, was attended by such celebrities as Muhammad Ali, Danny DeVito, Lorraine Bracco, Steve Schirripa, David Copperfield, Leeza Gibbons, Siegfried & Roy, and Teri Hatcher, whose lunch date was auctioned for thousands of dollars. Robin Leach played host, with performances by Michael Buble, and celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Guy Savoy, and Tom Colicchio.

“[We] are simply overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the institute,” said Ruvo. “There are no words to express our deep gratitude for the generosity shown. It only deepens our resolve to build an institute that… the medical world will recognize as one of the finest of its kind.”

Nearly five years after the accident, despite still undergoing daily physiotherapy, Roy feels ready for the stage again and to support LRBI in a big way. Siegfried didn’t at first, as he told the Las Vegas Review Journal in December: “I was really not ready for it. All the doctors say what [Roy is] doing now is impossible.”

The tiger that dragged Roy by his neck, causing extensive blood loss and damage, was actually attempting to get him to safety after a fall. Unbeknownst to the animal, humans have substantially thinner hides than tigers.

“I’ve always said, ‘I am the magician and Roy is the magic,’” said Siegfried. “And Roy shows me every day the magic – the magic of life.”

The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute is expected to be finished next year.

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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