Look To The Stars News: Casey Affleck

Stand Up To Cancer Announces Celebrity Ambassadors

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Stand Up To Cancer announced its list of celebrity ambassadors for 2009 last week.

The organization – which aims to raise money for cancer researchers and scientists to come together and reach their common goal: the cure for cancer – has brought names such as Marcia Cross, Kirsten Dunst, Sally Field, Mandy Moore, Dave Annable, Fran Drescher, Dana Delany, Sharon Osbourne, Patrick Wilson, Sofia Vassilieva and David Archuleta on board to help raise awareness of the cause.

“We are eternally grateful for the continuing support of the Hollywood community who have lent their time and talent to this cause, and engaged the public to do the same,” said Laura Ziskin, who is a member of SU2C executive leadership team. “The entertainment industry generously offered this initiative the most incredible resources—we want to make sure that they know all of their hard work is going toward something monumental.”

Stand Up To Cancer was launched last year with an hour-long TV spectacular – simulcast live on NBC, ABC, and CBS – that featured celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry, Forest Whitaker and Casey Affleck reading accounts of people battling cancer, as well as musical items, comedy sketches, and the opportunity for people to ring up and pledge donations – with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, America Ferrera and Kirsten Dunst answering the phones.

Bid On A Vespa Signed By The Stars For Charity

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Stand Up To Cancer recently teamed up with Island Def Jam records to launch an exciting new star-studded charity auction.

Celebrity guests at the record label’s VIP lounge at the Sundance Film Festival had the chance to sign a Vespa S50, and now the charity is selling the bike to the highest bidder.

Stars who have signed their name on the item include Alan Cumming, Andie MacDowell, Anne Heche, Christie Brinkley, Dominic Cooper, Hoobastank, Robin Thicke, Terrell Owens, Wesley Snipes, Christina Milian, Kevin Sorbo, Razorlight, Jon Mclaughlin and many more.

Stand Up To Cancer is a non-profit organization that aims to raise money for cancer researchers and scientists to come together and reach their common goal: the cure for cancer. Last September they held a huge star-studded telethon to raise money and awareness for their cause. Simulcast live on NBC, ABC, and CBS, the telethon featured celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry, Forest Whitaker and Casey Affleck reading accounts of people battling cancer, as well as musical items, comedy sketches, and the opportunity for people to ring up and pledge donations – with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, America Ferrera and Kirsten Dunst answering the phones.

For a chance to bid on the celebrity autographed Vespa and help the cause, visit the Charity Folks website.

Stars To Shine In Charity Heaven

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Art of Elysium will celebrate their 2nd annual Black Tie Charity Gala in a star-studded event this weekend.

Subtitled Heaven, the event will honor Jim Sheridan and Eva Mendes for their work with the charity, which encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.

The event will be hosted by Rosetta Millington Getty and Relativity Media’s Ryan Kavanaugh, and celebrities expected to attend include Casey Affleck, Jason Bateman, David Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Justin Bartha, Sophia Bush, Courteney Cox, Eric Dane, Kirsten Dunst, Rebecca Gayheart-Dane, Topher Grace, Rachel Griffiths, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Joan Hart, Thomas Jane, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Jared Leto, Lisa Love, Tobey Maguire, Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman and many others.

The Art of Elysium was established in 1997 and is dedicated to enriching the lives of artists and critically ill children.

“The Art of Elysium exists because of the passion that artists hold in their hearts,” said Jennifer Howell, founder of the organization. “By serving children in need, the artist is allowed to express this passion in ways that could never be revealed on stage, in a gallery or behind a camera. We invite you to join in our efforts to make a difference or to invent your own way to reach out and share yourself with others.”

The Heaven Gala takes place on Saturday, January 10, at the The Vibiana, 210 Main Street, Los Angeles. More info can be found here.

M.I.A. Builds School In Liberia

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rapper M.I.A. is currently looking for support to help build a school in Liberia.

The 31-year-old British-born Paper Planes hit maker visited Liberia with 4REAL, a humanitarian-based TV show that features stars such as Cameron Diaz, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they undertake adventures around the world to connect with young leaders who, under extreme circumstances, are affecting real change on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

M.I.A., who is currently pregnant with her first baby, used $100,000 she was paid for a show earlier this year to kickstart her Liberian school project.

“It costs $52k to build a school for 1,000 in Liberia,” she said.

The school is now starting to take shape, and M.I.A. is asking for help with books and ideas for the school.

“Maybe you have ideas to make this school more eco-friendly,” she said in her latest blog. “Your school might have books and stuff to donate etc let us know. And if you have interest in going to Liberia to do exchange programs at a school or help out in anyway, let us know.”

More info about 4REAL and the 4REAL Foundation can be found at their website.

Shanna Moakler Makes PETA Ad

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Meet The Barkers’ Shanna Moakler is the latest celebrity to appear in an ad for PETA.

The 33-year-old joins Sir Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Alicia Silverstone, Forest Whitaker, Casey Affleck, and James Cromwell in advertising for the organization, and didn’t hesitate when asked to film an advert.

“There are so many good reasons not to eat meat, but for me, the well-being of my children is the most important,” said Moakler, who has appeared in several films and on many TV shows, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Dancing With the Stars. “I want them to be healthy and also to understand that when they say ‘No!’ to meat, they’re saying ‘No!’ to animal cruelty. We talk about our pets, and I say, ‘You wouldn’t eat Biscuit, would you? Well, then let’s not eat any animal, O.K.?’”

The model is also against the use of fur in fashion – she won several fur coats in various pageants but now plans to donate them to PETA to use in its campaign to educate the public about the cruelty of the fur industry.

“I don’t think I really realized what I was putting into my body and the actual effects that it was having on me, so now I feel so much healthier, and I have so much more energy, and foods taste better!”

For more information and to view the ad, visit PETA.org.

Stars Are 4Real In New TV Show

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0000

A new humanitarian-based TV show debuts in the US this weekend, featuring Cameron Diaz and K’NAAN.

4REAL is a project that began as a documentary television series and has expanded to include an online global community, a provider of educational materials (4REAL School), and the non-profit 4REAL Foundation.

The television show, 4REAL, is a series of half-hour episodes hosted by Sol Guy that takes celebrity guests on adventures around the world to connect with young leaders who, under extreme circumstances, are affecting real change on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Celebrity guests for Season One are Cameron Diaz, Mos Def, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck, K’NAAN, M.I.A., and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The shows take you on unique adventures with these celebrities, but ultimately it’s the young leaders who emerge as the stars. 4REAL inspires viewers with stories of their courage, creativity and dedication to tackling issues such as poverty, environment, health, children’s and indigenous rights, drugs and violence in their communities and beyond.

Beyond the exposure that 4REAL provides, these young leaders are partners in the show, with 50 per cent of the show’s profits going directly to their initiatives.

4REAL is airing globally on National Geographic Channels International (not including Canada, U.S., and U.K.) in 166 countries and 35 languages, as well as on The CW channel in the U.S. and on CTV and MTV in Canada.

4REAL premieres in the U.S. on The CW this Sunday October 5 at 5pm. Two episodes will air back to back every Sunday for the next five months.

Stand Up To Cancer A Huge Success

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A multitude of stars came out on Friday night as part of the Stand Up To Cancer television extravaganza to raise money for cancer research.

The hour-long program – simulcast live on NBC, ABC, and CBS – featured celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry, Forest Whitaker and Casey Affleck reading accounts of people battling cancer, as well as musical items, comedy sketches, and the opportunity for people to ring up and pledge donations – with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, America Ferrera and Kirsten Dunst answering the phones.

“This is an absolutely historic night, thanks to the unbelievable generosity of the three networks,” event organiser, producer and cancer survivor Laura Ziskin told the audience at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre.

The biggest surprise of the night was the appearance of Patrick Swayze, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

“He looks amazing,” former basketball player Charles Barkley told People Magazine. “For me, seeing Patrick Swayze, someone who is actually fighting this disease, was the best part of the show. Seeing him in person was amazing.”

The idea behind the event was that it is the lack of funding – and not just research – that is slowing the advance of cancer prevention and treatment, and over $100 million has been raised since the Stand Up To Cancer initiative was launched earlier this year.

The telethon – which was viewed by over 10.5 million people – also featured performances by Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, and James Taylor, as well as the television premiere of the star-studded charitable single Just Stand Up performed by Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Ray Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood. Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett underwent a prostate examination on the show, and cartoon character Homer Simpson had a colonoscopy.

Other stars who were part of the show included Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, David Cook, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Hilary Swank, Jimmy Fallon, and Keanu Reeves, all of whom wanted to do something positive to help the 550,000 Americans and six million people worldwide who die from cancer each year.

As part of Stand Up To Cancer’s efforts, there is also an auction running on eBay that offers the chance to meet the cast of celebrities such as Katie Couric, Stephen Colbert, and Jay Leno. It runs until September 15, and can be accessed through eBay.

Lance Armstrong Stands Up To Cancer Tonight

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Don’t miss Stand Up To Cancer on ABC, CBS and NBC today, Friday, September 5, at 8 p.m. (EST).

A spectacular line up of talent including Jennifer Aniston, James Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, David Cook, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Charles Barkley, America Ferrera, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Fallon and Keanu Reeves will appear on the one-hour telecast. The celebrities are set to educate you, move you and entertain you, and will even be on hand to answer your calls in the celebrity phone bank.

The premiere TV performance of Just Stand Up – the star studded charitable single in support of Stand Up To Cancer – will be performed by legendary recording artists Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Ray Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood.

Doug Ulman, President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation says, “Inspired to act by their own personal experiences with cancer, the Stand Up to Cancer team recognizes that we can no longer rely on the current system alone to give us the breakthroughs we need. They are calling on the public to help take matters into our own hands, investing in a revolution that will change the way scientists and clinicians work to understand and treat cancer. Stand Up To Cancer is more than a rallying cry. It is a galvanizing force created to urgently move cancer research forward.”

Tonight’s program is raising funds to build “Dream Teams” made up of scientists, clinicians, technicians and other experts.

For more information about Stand Up To Cancer, and a complete list of celebrities who will be appearing during the show, visit the Stand Up To Cancer Website.

More Stars Stand Up To Cancer

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Stand Up To Cancer has announced another selection of stars that will take part in their television extravaganza on September 5.

Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, and Scarlett Johansson have been confirmed to join Meryl Streep, David Cook, and Christina Applegate in appearing on the primetime television event that hopes to raise funds for cancer research. Lance Armstrong has already filmed a segment that will be shown during the one hour event which will be broadcast simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC.

Organizer Sherry Lansing is pleased with the celebrity support the event is getting, and is grateful for their assistance.

“It hasn’t been hard getting celebrity involvement,” she told Look To The Stars. “Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way and they want to stand up, just like everyone else.”

A star-studded PSA for the event – featuring Christy Turlington, Tobey Maguire, Susan Sarandon, Morgan Freeman, Keanu Reeves, and Casey Affleck – can be viewed here.

The Chips Are Up For Africa

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Second Annual ‘Ante Up for Africa’ poker tournament was held on July 2nd in Las Vegas, and drew an impressive field of poker pro’s, celebrities and athletes – all of who helped make the event a success by raising over $400,000 for charity.

The event, co-hosted by humanitarian/actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, is already having a positive impact in Darfur – notably in reference to a UN Security Council vote authorizing a peacekeeping force in the area. “It wouldn’t have taken place [without us],” said Cheadle.

“It’s just great to see everybody,” Cheadle said as the event began.

The mood was comical at some tables,“All the tournaments I’ve ever won have been for charity,” said actor Jason Alexander. “When there’s no actual money for me, I’m very good.”

Adam Sandler cracked his first joke as the first hand was dealt, “I just want to hurry up and lose my money and go home to my wife.”

Matt Damon busted out of the tournament early, while seasoned poker pal Ben Affleck made it all the way to the final table before losing to John Hennigan.

Affleck said he remains optimistic about the situation in Darfur, “I do think that [Sudan’s leaders] are afraid of the next administration being tougher, and are probably a little bit more willing to be more cooperative. But I’m optimistic about what’s going to happen.”

Other celebrities who kicked in the $5k for a spot at the felt included Charles Barkley, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Ray Romano, Casey Affleck, and poker pro Phil Helmuth among others.

The tournament benefited two charities: ENOUGH, a project co-founded in 2007 by the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress; and Not On Our Watch (NOOW), a group co-founded by Cheadle, Damon, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Children's Charity Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:27:55 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A major children’s charity celebrated 10 years of service last weekend by holding a black-tie gala attended by a host of celebrities.

The gala and fashion show, held on January 13 in Los Angeles, was in honor of The Art of Elysium, a charity that uses drama, music, and art to help children who suffer from serious medical conditions. Sponsored by Vogue and Cartier, the event attracted a crowd of stars who took advantage of the opportunity to support the organization, with Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Lenny Kravitz, Ellen DeGeneres, Courteney Cox, Zach Braff, Ashley Olsen, and Casey Affleck all being spotted at the event.

The Art of Elysium was founded by Jennifer Howell in 1997, with the goal of helping 350 critically ill children in the Los Angeles area every week. By encouraging actors, artists, and musicians to donate their time to the children, the charity grew exponentially, and in 2007 over 20,000 children across North America benefited from the organization’s art-related workshops.

“The Art of Elysium exists because of the passion that artists hold in their hearts,” said Howell. “By serving children in need, the artist is allowed to express this passion in ways that could never be revealed on stage, in a gallery, or behind a camera. As Saint Francis said, ‘It is in giving that we receive’.”

Patricia Arquette, another guest at the gala, summed up the general feeling of the evening when she said: “I’m so glad the Golden Globes were cancelled, because it draws more attention to this.”

More information on how to support The Art Of Elysium can be found at www.theartofelysium.org.

Lunchbox Auction Will Help Feed Hungry Children

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:49:04 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

Forget what they say about good things coming in small boxes, better things come in lunch-boxes created by artists, actors, chefs, musicians, photographer, politicians, and fashion designers to shed light on the plight of hungry children in New York City and South Africa. These original artistic efforts are for the Lunchbox Auction.

The artistry is often unique and often indicative of the personality behind the work. World renown chef Bobby Flay’s 2005 lunchbox was decorated with spices. Bono’s lunchbox was simply red signifying his (RED) campaign. The bidding for lunchbox items will commence online on December 6, 2007

Among the other contributors of lunch-boxes for the first online auction included Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, David Bowie and Iman among other famous people. The proceeds help the Food Bank For New York City provide food to more than 1,000 emergency and community food programs throughout the five boroughs.

One in five children in NYC rely on emergency food. Thousands of miles away in South Africa, children face similar hunger oriented plights. Fledgling school programs do not subsidize pre- and high schools, so for many of these children the Lunch box fund feed them their only meal of the day. Moreover, many of the children are AIDS orphans running child-headed households.

To see the full list of lunch-boxes, visit the Charity Folks Website.

Lowes Fight For Eco Causes

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:58:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Rob Lowe and his brother Chad Lowe have recently been travelling on independent missions to tackle environmental issues.

Rob Lowe testified in Washington last week to ask the American government to give tax credits to people who make their hybrid cars and trucks even more environmentally friendly.

By adding a plug-in feature, drivers of hybrids, which have both a gasoline motor and an electric one, can charge the battery pack for the electric motor at home. Rob has already converted his own Toyota Prius. ‘Like a lot of Americans, I’ve been watching as the climate changes and as we are in a war on terror where our oil addiction helps fund people that want to kill us. It’s gotten my attention," he says.

Meanwhile, Chad Lowe has been driving around the country in his own hybrid, also raising awareness about the climate crisis. The way the world is set up now, he says, “It’s hard for any of us not to be hypocrites,” but asks people to do even little things at home and to start calling their representatives demanding change.

Chad contributed Taking America’s Temperature_, one of 50 short films commissioned by the SOS campaign to screen at the Los Angeles Film Festival last month as part of Live Earth Day. The series of filmsview&newsId=20070620005426&newsLang=en were to be inspiring and provocative, highlight the problems of the climate crisis and offer solutions. Other filmmakers included Madonna, Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck.

“Just like the 150 music artists who have stepped up to play the Live Earth concerts, the world filmmaking community has answered the SOS call in a big way,” says Kevin Wall, founder of SOS and Live Earth.

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