Look To The Stars News: Tobey Maguire

Stars Come Out For Charity The Night Before

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0000

The entertainment industry’s biggest stars are set to shine this weekend at the annual Academy Awards, but the night before the big event they will be partying it up to support the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation.

The 7th annual The Night Before event will take place on Saturday, February 21, at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, and aims to help provide charitable health and community services to entertainment industry people in need.

The first Night Before event was held in 2003 and instantly became one of the most coveted invitations in town kicking off what is now a much-anticipated awards season tradition. Since its inception, the Night Before fundraiser has raised more than $30 million for MPTF.

“This event raises more money to help the entertainment industry than any other single event we do,” said Ken Scherer, CEO of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation. “The money raised here during the past six years has changed the lives of countless people in the entertainment industry, through the various services and programs offered by MPTF.”

MPTF Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg added: “This year, more than any other, we are asking the entertainment industry to come out and help those in the business who are facing some type of hardship, financial or otherwise. There are people who are losing their cars and homes; the need has never been greater. The money raised from this event will enable MPTF to keep up with the increasing requests for help and hopefully we wont have to have to say ‘no’ to anyone.”

Celebrities on this year’s hosting committee include: Jennifer Aniston, Tanya Haden Black & Jack Black, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Luciana & Matt Damon, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jake Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, Jennifer & Tobey Maguire, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, Christine Taylor & Ben Stiller, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Weisz, Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet & Sam Mendes, Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones & Michael Douglas.

The non-profit Motion Picture & Television Fund, headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif., was founded in 1921 to provide “relief” for those in the film industry who had fallen on hard times. Today, 85 years later, MPTF is a major service provider supporting the health and well being of the entertainment community. Healthcare, childcare, retirement living and social/charitable services are offered with compassion and respect for the dignity of the whole person. Care is offered through the MPTF 250-bed hospital, five outpatient health centers, charitable financial assistance and community outreach programs, a full-scale retirement community and a children’s day care center. More information is available here.

Ben Affleck To Address Celebrities At Charity Event

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

This Wednesday, February 18, will see some of Hollywood’s biggest stars turn out at the House of Blues in Los Angeles to honor International Medical Corps (IMC) and support its life-saving work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Expected to attend the event are George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Diane Keaton, Felicity Huffman, Forest Whitaker, Tobey Maguire, Kate Walsh, Heather Graham and Brooke Shields, with entertainment to be provided by Sheryl Crow.

The evening is to be hosted by writer/producer Grant Heslov (“Good Night & Good Luck”) and his wife Lysa, who founded the arts exchange organization, Children Mending Hearts, and traveled to IMC’s programs in the Congo last month. A special humanitarian award will be presented to CNN’s Anderson Cooper for his reporting in Africa.

Featured speaker at the event will be Ben Affleck, who has made several trips to the Congo and this week published an article he wrote about his experiences in TIME Magazine.

“I’ve been traveling to Congo since 2007,” he wrote in the article, titled A Glimmer Of Hope In Africa. “The picture of the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo has grown tragically familiar: a region with great natural wealth, riven by war, racked with hunger and traumatized by a long history of colonial abuse, postcolonial kleptocracy and plunder. In the past 10 years alone, millions have died here, and more die each day as a result of the conflict. Most die not from war wounds but from starvation or disease. A lack of infrastructure means there is little medical care in the cities and none in rural communities, so any infection can be a death sentence. The most vulnerable suffer the worst. One in five children in Congo will die before reaching the age of 5 — and will do so out of sight of the world, in places that camera crews cannot reach, deep in a vast landscape and concealed under a canopy of bucolic jungle.”

Established in 1984, International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Gwyneth Paltrow And Courteney Cox Honored For Charity Work

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Gwyneth Paltrow and Courteney Cox were honored at the 14th Annual Saks Fifth Avenue’s Unforgettable Evening benefiting the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund in Beverly Hills last night, February 10.

The annual event raises much needed funds each year for innovative cancer research, and recognizes one remarkable individual for his or her unwavering commitment to the cause.

Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow received the 2009 Courage Award. She, along with her mother, Blythe Danner, and brother, Jake Paltrow, established the Bruce Paltrow Fund in memory of her father who lived with oral cancer for several years. The Bruce Paltrow Fund, set up through The Oral Cancer Foundation and with support from the EIF, works to prevent oral cancer through public education, early detection and patient support. In 2008, Paltrow served as ambassador for EIF and Saks Fifth Avenue’s KEY TO THE CURE Initiative, appearing in a nationwide public service announcement to raise funds and awareness for women’s cancers.

Courteney Cox was presented with the 2009 Nat King Cole Award for her dedication to helping people, especially those near to her, who have battled cancer.

The evening included a special performance by Beyoncé Knowles and featured guests such as Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Dern, Jennifer Meyer and Tobey Maguire, Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn, Josh Groban, Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, Kirk Douglas, Jessica Capshaw, along with EIF’s WCRF honorary chairs Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, EIF’s WCRF co-founders Kelly Chapman Meyer, Jamie Tisch, Anne Douglas, Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie, and Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills’ Vice President & General Manager Larry Bruce.

David Arquette Helps Feed America

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor David Arquette hosted a star-studded charity cocktail evening for Feeding America over the weekend.

The event – held in Los Angeles on Friday, January 9 – attracted an amazing array of celebrities, including Arquette’s wife Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Tobey Maguire, Josh Groban, Amanda Peet, Nick Lachey, Kevin Connelly, Lukas Haas, Jason Bateman and many more.

The event was held to help Shepard Fairey unveil his new range of artworks that raise awareness about Feeding America, an organization that increases public awareness of domestic hunger and advocates for public policies that benefit America’s hungry. Fairey is one of the world’s best known street artists.

Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.

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.

5 Friends Voting Video Makes A Comeback

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hollywood is a land of sequels – and so be prepared for another one. Hot on the heals of last month’s 5 Friends video organized by Declare Yourself comes 5 Friends 2.

With only days until the US elections, a new video has been produced to encourage people to get out and vote, with stars such as Orlando Bloom, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, Zach Braff, Colin Farrell, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LeBeouf, Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Segal making an appearance.

Along with a selection of people off the street, the stars say exactly why they are voting.

Even Sacha Baron Cohen makes an appearance as Borat.

“What you do inside a voting booth is a secret,” he says as only Borat can. “Nice…!”

And they are not the only ones encouraging people to vote. Zac Efron, Monique Coleman, and the rest of the cast of High School Musical 3 have lent their voices to the Declare Yourself organization with a series of voting videos.

All the videos can be found on the Declare Yourself website. But hurry, you’ve only got until November 4 to make yourself heard and be counted.

Celebrity Endorsement Pulls Young Voters

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A new study has revealed how celebrity endorsement can encourage young people to vote.

“Celebrities have the power to motivate civic engagement regardless of their own grasp of the issues at hand,” reported a study by Washington State University published in the Mass Communication and Society journal. “Celebrity endorsed campaigns successfully lowered complacency and helped young people believe in their own impact on the political system. Young people got involved at higher levels and became increasingly aware of societal issues.”

According to the study, initiatives from stars such as Jessica Alba – who recently featured in several ad campaigns for Declare Yourself – as well as Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé Knowles have influenced the youth vote in America. 44% of newly registered voters in 2004 were between 18 and 25.

This year’s voters have been encouraged by a host of celebrity campaigns, such as Death Cab for Cutie’s free concert offer and the recent 5 Friends video that featured will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Maria Bello, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Djimon Hounsou, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Esai Morales, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.

About 44 million people aged 18 to 29 are eligible to vote in the November 4 presidential election. If young voter turnout exceeds 50%, it will be only the third time since the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1972.

Hollywood Urges US To Vote

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A host of the brightest stars in Hollywood have joined forces in a new video encouraging people to vote in the upcoming US elections.

The 5-minute film, which is called 5 Friends and can be viewed here, features appearances from Amy Adams, Tatyana Ali, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Maria Bello, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Djimon Hounsou, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Esai Morales, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.

The video, which uses a little bit of reverse psychology to get people to the polls, was organized by Declare Yourself, a national nonprofit campaign initiated in 2004 to energize and empower a new movement of young voters.

“If you’re not going to vote I don’t even know what to say to you anymore,” says DiCaprio in the video, which was shot in his home in LA. “You know you have to vote.”

Declare Yourself has also launched a new print and internet advertisement featuring Jessica Alba.

Last month the star appeared gagged and wrapped in plastic in an ad for the organization. In the new campaign, Alba appears wearing only a Hannibal Lecter-type mask called “The Muzzler.”

The advertisement can be seen at the Declare Yourself 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.

Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:21:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and celebrities are doing their best to make holiday shopping easy this year. Several charity auctions have already kicked off to raise money for good causes, including one that may be eBay’s largest sale of celebrity items… ever!

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS online auction will open on December 1, World AIDS Day, and will feature over 1000 specially signed items, ranging from posters to iPods. The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity, and in the past has raised up to $175,000.

The array of memorabilia up for sale this year is simply colossal, with perhaps the most interesting items being a series of “Lend a Hand to LIFEbeat” cards that feature the handprints of over 100 celebrities. Stars such as Britney Spears, Jack Black, and Kathy Griffin traced around the outlines of their hands and decorated their artworks for the auction, and the finished products will make a unique addition to any Christmas stocking.

Also included in the auction is a selection of signed musical instruments. Rapper 50 Cent has donated the tambourines he used during his performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and Metallica and the Foo Fighters have both donated guitars. There are also over 200 official RIAA gold and platinum record awards up for sale, from artists such as Annie Lennox, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Green Day. Rare tour crew jackets from Guns N Roses, Cher, George Michael, and Prince are also available.

There are a stack of autographed CDs and DVDs on offer in the auction, from Mariah Carey, Elton John, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Val Kilmer, as well as books signed by Madonna, Bill Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Martha Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Ethan Hawke. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Elijah Wood, and Usher have all signed posters for the auction.

For those people after something a little different, the auction also includes an iPod designed by Yoko Ono, a box of cereal signed by Will Ferrell, Borat’s hat signed by Sacha Baron Cohen, and a Spiderman action figure autographed by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

And if nothing mentioned so far whets your appetite, there are also signed items from Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Nelly, Joan Collins, John Travolta, Kanye West, The Cure, Jay-Z, Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham, Robin Williams, Hilary Duff, Jason Alexander, Jack Nicholson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adam Sandler, John Legend, Jessica Simpson, Whoopi Goldberg, Aerosmith, Denzel Washington, Good Charlotte, James Blunt, Jeremy Piven, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Norah Jones, Razorlight, Wyclef Jean, and many more… far too many to list here.

More information and a full list of items can be found at www.bid2beataids.com.

As if this wasn’t enough choice for Christmas shoppers, there are also several other auctions and events on the go at the moment. The biggest of these is the 10th Annual Collaborating For A Cure Benefit Dinner and Auction, a massive black tie gala to be held on November 29. It also happens to be one of the highest grossing charity events held every year in New York, and last year raised over $4 million for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that has provided over $55 million in grants to cancer research, and has been instrumental in the development of new cancer drugs.

The gala dinner and live auction will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue, New York City, and over 1200 guests are expected to attend. The host for the evening is Chevy Chase, and attendees will be treated to a very special performance by Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh, members of 70’s rock group, the Eagles.

Selected items up for auction on the night as well as online include dinner with Chevy Chase, the chance to play tennis with Andre Agassi, and a meet and greet with Aerosmith.

More information can be found at www.charitybuzz.com.

Also on the Charitybuzz website is an auction to raise funding for Stand Up For A Cure, an organization dedicated to lung cancer research and awareness.

The auction runs from November 28 until December 12, and features unique items such as the chance to have Andrea Bocelli perform in your own home, the opportunity to have Patti LaBelle host your cocktail party, and VIP tickets to see Céline Dion at Madison Square Gardens.

And if you still can’t find a suitable gift, have a look at the Have A Heart Auction on Charitybuzz. All proceeds from the auction, which features the chance to meet Avril Lavigne, a copy of “An Inconvenient Truth” signed by Al Gore, and a “Godfather II” DVD signed by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, will benefit HEART, an organization that aims to foster compassion and respect for all living beings.

But you have to be in quick, as the auction ends on November 29.

Look To The Stars News: Tobey Maguire

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