How Much Celebs Gave to Political Causes and Candidates in 2021

Sofia Bush

Sofia Bush by Collision Conf (CC BY)

Cheapism is editorially independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site.
Sofia Bush
Sofia Bush by Collision Conf (CC BY)

Getting Political

Almost every politician knows that Hollywood is a great place to have a campaign fundraiser — and not just because of the warm weather. Celebrities are often willing to open their wallets for causes they care about — and the politicians who support them. Here are some stars who give (as well as how much), according to the Federal Election Commission. While some give to a laundry list of causes, we're reporting the top two highest contributions of each celebrity.


Related: The Most Surprising Election Upsets in U.S. History

Jake Busey
Jake Busey by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA)

Jake Busey

$35 for Win Red

The son of actor Gary Busey, Jake Busey played a murderous religious fanatic opposite Jodie Foster in "Contact" and has more recently appeared on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" and "Stranger Things."

Louis Gossett Jr.
Louis Gossett Jr. by Canadian Film Centre (CC BY)

Louis Gossett Jr.

$150 for Act Blue

The star of "An Officer and a Gentleman" has talked about his political views, especially when it came to then-candidate Trump. He told The Washington Times he felt the real estate magnate was "bringing the poisons out in the people" in the run-up to the 2016 election.


For more stories like this,
please sign up for our free newsletters.

Richard Roundtree
Wikimedia Commons

Richard Roundtree

$150 for the California Democratic Party

The "Shaft" star played the Black James Bond, but he put his money on blue this year. He also gave $450 to the Arizona Democratic Party.

Harry Hamlin
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Harry Hamlin

$250 to Act Blue

You may know him as the husband of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Rinna, but he became a star on the TV show "L.A. Law." He's also a contributor to End Citizens United.

Richard Kind
Richard Kind by Tomdog (CC BY-SA)

Richard Kind

$266 for the DCCC

The voice of Bing Bong in "Inside Out" and "Mad About You" star Kind has been nominated for a Tony and a Screen Actors Guild award. The actor has been frank about how he feels about income inequality, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "I don't know how to put this exactly, but I think the disparity between the ultra rich and the next level is as disgraceful as anything that has gone on in our history … I don't know how it got wrong, but something is wrong."

Tony Shalhoub
Rob Kim/Getty Images

Tony Shalhoub

$275 for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

Donating in Wisconsin makes sense for the "Monk" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star (who has recovered since testing positive for COVID with his wife actor Brooke Adams in May 2020) — he was born in Green Bay, began acting at Green Bay East High School, and attended the University of Wisconsin.


Related: Colin Powell, Larry King and More Luminaries We Lost to COVID-19

Actress Allison Janney
Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images

Allison Janney

$280 for the DCCC

The "West Wing" and "Mom" star didn't stop with donating to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She also gave money to the Holly McCormack for Congress campaign.

Lindsay Crouse
JP Yim/Getty Images

Lindsay Crouse

$373 to the Let America Vote PAC

The Broadway actor (and ex of playwright David Mamet) has given to a variety of Democratic causes, including the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.

Sofia Bush
Sofia Bush by Collision Conf (CC BY)
Barbara Feldon
Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Barbara Feldon

$400 for Act Blue

The actor you know from "Get Smart" also gave $475 to the DCCC.

Billy Baldwin
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Billy Baldwin

$450 for the DCCC

Alec's little brother, Baldwin has been working in Hollywood steadily since 1989. He funded the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the official fundraising arm for Democrats in the House of Representatives.

John Michael Higgins
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

John Michael Higgins

$497 for Democratic National Committee

The actor is best known for being a regular in Christopher Guest's comedies, including "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show."

Rosanna Arquette
Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images

Rosanna Arquette

$525 for the Really American PAC

The "Pulp Fiction" star has had no problem expressing her political POV — in fact, she said the FBI told her to make her Twitter account private after a controversial statement she made about hating her white privilege.

Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA)

Mark Ruffalo

$600 for the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC

The "Hulk" is putting his muscle (and his green) behind a Democratic cause. The actor has never been shy about taking a stand, recently saying on Twitter, "​​You think it's Democrats or Republicans that are making your life unlivable? It's anyone who is getting in the way of it. Unions, living wages, social safety nets, are part of a vibrant democracy."


Related: Places to Hang Out Where You're Most Likely to See a Celebrity

Anthony Edwards
Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

Anthony Edwards

$700 for the DSCC

Goose from "Top Gun" made a splash in "ER" and was more recently in "Designated Survivor." He has taken a stand against child sexual abuse, revealing he was molested by director Gary Goddard as a child actor when he was just 12.

Amy Madigan
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Amy Madigan

$700 for the DSCC

The "Field of Dreams" star has been nominated for an Oscar for "Twice in a Lifetime." She's also been married to actor Ed Harris for 37 years. They been vocal supporters of abortion rights, with Madigan serving on the board of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary by Mingle MediaTV (CC BY-SA)

Anthony Geary

$814 for End Citizens United

The actor who played Luke Spencer on "General Hospital" for a whopping 37 years has been quiet about his politics, but End Citizens United is a political action committee working to reverse a Supreme Court decision that deregulated limits on groups spending for or against specific candidates.

Gerald McRaney
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Gerald McRaney

$850 for Marco Rubio for Senate

This Emmy winner became a household name in "Simon & Simon" and is also known for more recent roles in "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "This Is Us." He supported Rubio, a Republican senator in Florida.


Related: Celebrity Podcasts for Every Listener

Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle by Uproxx video (CC BY)

Don Cheadle

$930 to the DCCC

The narrator of the recent "The Wonder Years" reboot, Cheadle was also War Machine in the Marvel universe. He's no fan of the right, slamming then-candidate Trump via Twitter after the accidental shooting of a woman in Chicago, tweeting, "People of Drumpf's ilk are contributors to the conditions that lead to the 'Chicagos' of this country."

Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York (CC BY)

Cynthia Nixon

$1,000 for Mondaire for Congress

The "Sex and the City" star has long had an interest in politics — she ran for governor of New York in 2018 but lost the Democratic nomination to Andrew Cuomo. She is supporting Democratic candidate Mondaire Jones' run for Congress in New York.


Related: Workplaces Accused of Having a Toxic Culture

Busy Philipps
Busy Philipps by Daniel Benavides (CC BY)

Busy Philipps

$1,000 for the DSCC

The "Girls5eva" and "Freaks and Geeks" star has been outspoken about her stance on reproductive rights, saying in the opening monologue of her now-canceled talk show, "Busy Tonight," "I know that people feel very strongly about abortion, but let me just say this. Women and their doctors are in the best position to make informed decisions about what is best for them, nobody else."

Cecily Strong
Rich Fury/Getty Images

Cecily Strong

$1,185 for Act Blue

The "Saturday Night Live" star knows how to talk politics — she delivered zingers at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2015.

Brad Dourif
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Brad Dourif

$1,205 for CHC Bold PAC

The Oscar nominee for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" also gave $765 to the Progressive Turnout Project.

Eric Braeden
Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images

Eric Braeden

$1,215 for the DSCC

The longtime "The Young and the Restless" star hasn't been shy when it comes to politics, taking to Facebook to rage against Trump, "I came as an immigrant, with hardly a dollar in my pocket, I have watched many a President, REALLY appreciate this GREAT COUNTRY, worked hard and can discern a bullsh*t artist when I see one! He grew up with a silver spoon and accomplished WHAT? He has bullied every single person who runs or ran against him! The fact that none of the other Republican candidates stood up to him after he leveled one puerile insult after the other against them is a very sad state of affairs for the Party!"


Related: Beloved Classic TV Shows You Can Still Watch

Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA)

Bill Irwin

$1,400 for Act Blue

The Tony-award winner and Guggenheim fellow (who is also a trained clown) also gave $850 to the Progressive Turnout Project. Act Blue is an organization that allows left-leaning nonprofits, Democratic candidates, and progressive groups to raise money from individuals using fundraising software.

Bradley Whitford
Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Bradley Whitford

$1,800 for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the "Get Out" and "West Wing" star has donated to a number of political causes. He's also given to the Texas Democratic Party, the Let America Vote PAC, End Citizens United, and congressional campaigns for Harley Rouda and Lauren Underwood.

Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard by GabboT (CC BY-SA)

Peter Sarsgaard

$2,200 to Act Blue

The enigmatic "Shattered Glass" and Broadway star, who is married to "The Deuce" actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, hasn't been outspoken about his political stance, but his wife has been an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton.

Lily Tomlin
Wikimedia Commons

Lily Tomlin

$2,489 for Act Blue

The "Grace and Frankie" star gave cash to other Democratic causes, too, including End Citizens United.


Related: The Best TV Shows Starring Boomers

Susan Sarandon
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Susan Sarandon

$2,900 for Becker for Arizona

The Oscar winner has been outspoken about her political views, supporting Bernie Sanders while saying of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, "You know, some people feel that Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately. If he gets in, things will really explode." She supported Republican April Becker for Congress.


Related: These Portraits of Celebs Born in October Will Make You Look Twice

Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA)

Seth McFarlane

$10,000 for the South Dakota Democratic Party

The creator of "Family Guy" has donated more than $200,000 to Democratic congressional causes and to the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick by Edinburgh International Film Festival (CC BY-NC-ND)

Kyra Sedgwick

$45,000 for Swing Left

Best known for television's "The Closer," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and now "Call Your Mother," Sedgwick and husband Kevin Bacon appeared in a PSA for Swing Left — one of the few times they've appeared on camera together.


Related: Longest Celebrity Marriages