Richard Gere
This actor believes that he’s been ostracized from Hollywood for his political positions, but not because he’s a conservative. He’s donated thousands of dollars to Democrat politicians and has said that President Obama will “go down as one of our great presidents.” Instead, he believes that his activism in support of Tibetan independence worries filmmakers who want to be able to market their films in China. He’s actually been banned from entering China for his denouncements of the Chinese government. But even with these limitations, he’s managed to have an impressive career in both film and on stage, moving lately to more independent films.
Samuel L. Jackson
Jackson has never been one to shy away from politics. He was active in the civil rights movement of the ‘60s, even holding members of the Morehouse College board of trustees hostage to demand changes to the school’s curriculum. More recently, he has been a strong supporter of Democrat politicians, giving a great deal of money to President Obama and the Democratic National Convention. He’s also provided his own face and name to the campaigns, appearing in a 2012 video for Obama titled “Wake the F— Up,” where he said that voting for Republicans would be a bad idea for a wide variety of groups.
Amy Poehler
The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member is probably best known for her portrayal of Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation,” for which she won a Golden Globe in 2014. Knope was a dedicated civil servant with determinedly left-wing views. (Her celebrity crush was Vice President Joe Biden.) Poehler’s own views aren’t much different. She endorsed President Obama in 2012 and wrote a fundraising letter for Planned Parenthood. She also took a hard stance against the National Rifle Association’s use of a scene from “Parks and Recreation” after the Parkland shooting.