The Do-Gooders

Stars from Buckingham Palace to Bollywood and Hogwarts used their fame in 2018 to highlight a list of global challenges from climate change, to disease and women’s rights.

Call for empowerment: Michelle Obama

The former U.S. first lady has been promoting her memoir globally and speaking up for women’s rights and girls’ education. Obama, who grew up in a working class household in Chicago, said she wanted to empower women to seek hope in a difficult political and social climate.

Right step: Meghan Markle

Since marrying into Britain’s royal family in May, the U.S. actress has vowed to shine a light on women’s rights. She was also snapped wearing “slave-free” jeans from Outland Denim in Australia, which sparked a run to buy the trousers, and collaborated with survivors of London’s Grenfell Tower fire to produce a community led cookbook.

Me too: Emma Watson

Best known as Hermione in the Harry Potter films, Watson used 2018 to campaign for the #MeToo movement, donating one million pounds ($1.3 million) to a fund that supports charities fighting sexual abuse. In October, Watson wrote an open letter to end restrictive abortion laws from India to Ireland, while she was also photographed wearing a earrings fashioned from shrapnel and undetonated bombs from Laos.

It doesn’t sting: David Beckham

The former English soccer captain joined a campaign to reinvigorate the global fight against malaria, launched by charity Malaria No More UK. The retired athlete starred in a short film in which he was swarmed by mosquitoes to highlight that malaria continues to kill about 445,000 people a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

All clear: Amitabh Bachchan

Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan cemented his popularity in India when he spent more than 40 million rupees ($560,000) to clear the loans of farmers after an agricultural crisis left many of them in extreme poverty.

Child’s play: Millie Bobby Brown

The teen star of hit Netflix series Stranger Things became the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF’s youngest goodwill ambassador this year, vowing to raise issues around children’s rights, education, poverty and work to end bullying.

For one and all: Elton John

The British singer-songwriter, a long-time advocate for LGBT+ rights, called for more to be done to support those living in poverty to gain better access to HIV/AIDS medical treatment, describing the lack of access a “disgrace.”

Cyber safety: Princess Beatrice

The British princess, eighth in line to the throne, campaigned to tackle online abuse and cyber-bullying, especially against young women and girls.

Standing tall: Cate Blanchett

Australian actress and United Nations’ refugee goodwill ambassador spoke out about the Rohingya crisis, urging nations to do more to support refugees fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh. Blanchett, who has won two Oscars, warned of a “race against time” to protect Rohingya refugees. —Reuters