The entertainment industry has seen a remarkable group of women who have really played the fame game well. These women are not only achieved fame but have also utilized their platform to bring about meaningful change. For this list, we’re looking at celebrities with the ability to initiate change beyond the field for which they are famous. Politicians and royalty are not included however, and will feature on a different.
Angelina Jolie
Our runner-up achieves a curious balance; she’s both ultra-glamorous and truly inspirational. An actor turned director, Jolie is also a significant voice for a variety of humanitarian causes and charities, and a dedicated mother. She’s one of the most famous people on the planet, and she uses her public profile as a platform to try and make a difference for those less fortunate. The star of “Maleficent” is nothing short of magnificent in terms of the power and influence she wields.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey’s rise to the very top is unrivalled. She’s probably most famous as producer and host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. However, Oprah’s influence cannot be confined to the TV studio. An icon for the African-American community, her power was perfectly demonstrated during Barack Obama’s mid-2000s campaign for democratic leadership; various estimates say that Oprah’s support won Obama over a million votes.
Madonna
Quite simply put, pop music would not be as it is today were it not for Madonna. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1983, and followed by the hugely successful “Like a Virgin” in ’84. Those two records formed a foundation from which Madonna’s career took off spectacularly. Moving into the twenty-first century, Madonna’s ‘Queen of Pop’ moniker has remained intact, and she has moved with the times much more effectively than most of her peers. As such, everything she does still fascinates the onlooker.
Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer is an ABC anchor and journalist and one of the most recognisable women in North America. Perhaps Sawyer’s most impressive trait is her versatility; one day she’s reacting to important world news, the next she’s sitting down and interviewing some of the planet’s best known celebrities. As such, she’s an incredibly well-connected woman, with friends and acquaintances across the globe, in a variety of fields. And let’s not forget how close she was to President Nixon when he was in power.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is one of the most successful country/pop music crossover acts of all time. Enjoying particular success with her fifth studio album, “1989”, Tay-Tay has won Grammys, AMAs, and Billboard Awards aplenty during her still relatively young career. Buoyed by her massive success, Swift has become the face, voice and personality of a generation.
