Philanthropic Actors at the 2019 Emmy Awards

Don Cheadle

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Black Monday

Golden Globe award-winning, Academy award-nominated, and Emmy-nominated actor Don Cheadle makes our list of philanthropic actors with his long-standing passion for global change. His work in the movement to end mass atrocities with the Enough Project is among his most notable philanthropy partnerships. Having been a part of several campaigns to end violence and disenfranchisement in Sudan and Rwanda, Cheadle is an acclaimed recipient of the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome.

Emilia Clarke

Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Game of Thrones

Emmy award-nominated actress Emilia Clarke has endured her fair share of battles on and off the screen. Between the years of 2011 and 2013, Clarke underwent two brain surgeries as a result of life-threatening aneurysms. Inspired by the support she received from her family, Clarke helped develop SameYou – a charity aiming to provide treatment for people recovering from brain injuries and stroke.

According to their website, SameYou works to increase the provision of immediate rehabilitation for young adults after leaving the hospital and to facilitate innovations in specialist nurse training, fund clinical research and develop evidence for policy change.

“I want to break the silence on brain injury.” – Emilia Clarke

Kit Harrington

Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Game of Thrones

You may know Kit Harrington from his role as Jon Snow in the hit show “Game of Thrones,” but his desire to help those with learning disabilities has taken the spotlight recently. Toward the end of the final game of Thrones season in the summer of 2019, Harrington was spotted leaving a wellness center, prompting fans from all over the world to show their support for him. In a matter of weeks, fans from around the world donated over $65,000 to Mencap, a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform society’s attitudes to learning disability and improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability and their families.

Niecy Nash

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie – When They See Us

Niecy Nash is an Emmy award-winning actress and a firm supporter of the Amazing Grace Conservatory. Nash helps the Amazing Grace Conservatory on their journey to train and develop emerging artists and at-risk youth in the performing arts by offering a well rounded, culturally enriching educational programs in an environment that is nurturing for their personal, artistic and professional growth. She told Variety in 2018, “These babies are so talented and the work that they put out — some of it you could see being on Broadway… I love the fact that through the arts for young people there’s an outlet and a place for them to go that they may not have gotten if it weren’t for Amazing Grace.”

Sterling K. Brown

Lead Actor in a Drama Series – This is Us

Winner of an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critic’s Choice award, Sterling K. Brown is now nominated for an Emmy in his role as Randall Pearson on “This Is Us.” Forbes cites their conversation with Brown in a 2018 interview where he goes in-depth about causes that keep him grounded. He began a partnership with Clorox and Thrive Collective to develop a youth arts center. Brown told Forbes, “Now it’s time to give back. Now it’s time to make sure that you can start creating opportunities for other people.”