1. Dave Grohl
In 2006, two Australian miners trapped 1000 meters under the ground requested that, besides food and water, an iPod filled with Grohl's band The Foo Fighter's music be sent down to them. Upon hearing this, Grohl sent them this letter:
Though I'm halfway around the world right now, my heart is with you both, and I want you to know that when you come home, there's two tickets to any Foos show, anywhere, and two cold beers waiting for yous. Deal? Looking forward to sharing them with you."
2. Ian McKellen
In 1988, after the sponsor of an anti-gay rights bill, Michael Howard, asked McKellen for an autograph for his children, Sir Ian consented. His autograph? "Fuck off, I'm gay."
3. Jim Cummings, The Voice Of "Winnie The Pooh"
Aside from voicing one of the most beloved cartoons of all time, Jim Cummings also does his fair share of charity work, sometimes calling sick children in hospitals and speaking to them in character. Says Jim:
"One child that I called was dying of cancer," he says. "Pooh called her, and she started to giggle. Her mother was in tears, just crying. She said that was the first time her daughter had smiled in six months."
4. JK Rowling
Before the release of the Harry Potter series' fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", JK Rowling wrote the book's ending a year early for Natalie McDonald, a little girl diagnosed with leukemia. Natalie died before reading JK's email, so JK named a character after her. That character was sorted into Gryffindor.
5. Johnny Depp
On a particularly rainy day of filming "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", Depp decided to do something nice for the 500 crew members. He bought them all jackets. $64,000 worth of jackets, that is.
6. Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris holds a very high post in the Academy of Magical Arts, a non-profit organization "devoted to the promotion and development of the art of magic." Neil is actually the President of the Board Of Directors. Of magic.
7. Ol' Dirty Bastard
In February 1998, [Dirty] witnessed a car accident from the window of his Brooklyn recording studio. He and a friend ran to the accident scene and organized about a dozen onlookers who assisted in lifting the 1996 Ford Mustang—rescuing a 4-year-old girl from the wreckage. She was taken to a hospital with first and second degree burns. Using a false name, he visited the girl in the hospital frequently until he was spotted by members of the media.
8. Moby
One morning, Moby woke up to find a stranger in his Hollywood Hill's living room. After asking the man what he was doing there and telling him he should "probably leave", the stranger replied that he "might still be on acid." Instead of freaking out (like I'm sure the stranger was), Moby gave the man a sweatshirt, some money for breakfast, and sent him on his way.
9. Lisa Lampanelli
After the notorious hate group the Westboro Baptist Church promised to protest a show she held in 2011, Lisa countered their promise with one of her own: she planned to donate $1000 for every protestor that showed up to the Gay Men's Health Crisis. 44 showed up, but she rounded up her donation to $50,000 with a little note that said "made possible by the WBC."
10. Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean
When his pilot passed out at the controls of his private plane flying over Africa, Atkinson was forced to take over the controls despite never having piloted a plane, saving the lives of his wife and two children.
Eventually the pilot came to, after several slaps by Atkinson, and managed to land the plane safely at the airport.
11. Keanu Reeves
Instead of taking full advantage of his lucrative profit sharing options for the "Matrix" sequels, Reeves gave up the money to the film's special-effects and costume-design team. Of his decision, he said that "they were the ones who made the movie and that they should participate."
12. Mr. T
After Hurricane Katrina, Mr. T vowed, out of a show of respect for the victims of the tragedy, to stop wearing his signature jewelry. He felt that "it would be a sin before God for me to continue wearing my gold." Better yet, is why he wore the Jewelry in the first place:
The practice was the result of customers losing the items or leaving them behind at the night club after a fight. A customer, who may have been banned from the club or trying to avoid another confrontation, would not have to re-enter the club if Mr. T wore their jewelry as he stood out front. When a customer returned to claim the item, it was readily visible and available with no further confrontations required.
13. Bill Murray
Years after the movies success, Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray suited up as the Ghostbusters one last time to visit a terminally ill child while in character. I think that's all the sequel I need.
14. Justin Timberlake
During a nationwide tour, Timberlake paid a company to measure the carbon impact of his concerts in the cities where he played. He then paid to have trees and bushes planted in those cities to offset his carbon footprint.
15. Eminem
In 2003, Eminem won an Academy Award for his song "Lose Yourself" in "8 Mile". However, Eminem didn't go to the ceremony -- instead, he stayed home with his daughter, Hailie, watching cartoons and sleeping through the ceremony.
16. Mr. Rogers
17.
In the late '80s, Rogers testified before the Supreme Court defending the position that home recordings for personal use do not constitute copyright infringement. Before that, his testify before Congress in favor of public television resulted in funding skyrocketing from $9 to $22 million. Also, all his sweaters were knitted by his mother. Isn't that special?