There are many different kinds of heroes, both famous and not famous.
Some celebrities fit that description simply by donating a portion of
their vast fortunes to charities. Sandra Bullock, for instance,
donated $1 million to the Red Cross after the devastating earthquake and
tsunami in Japan, and Angelina Jolie donated the same impressive sum to
the U.N. Afghan relief fund.
Then there are the other types of
celebrity heroes; the men and women who happen upon dangerous
situations, but instead of running away, they run towards it to see if
they can help. The following ten superstars have all acted bravely
under stressful circumstances, and they're all heroes in our book!
While on his way to a recording studio in Atlanta, GA, rapper T.I. heard
a news report about a man standing on a 22-story downtown building,
threatening to jump to his death. After contacting a radio station that
was located within the building, T.I. recorded a video for the man,
saying, "Nothing is that bad. Nothing in life is worth taking your life.
I'm here to help you. Please come down to talk to me."
After
police showed the man the video, he agreed to step away from the ledge
and went inside to have a brief conversation with the rap star. The man
was then taken into protective custody and treated at a local hospital
for his severe depression.
(Link | Photo)
Harrison Ford rescues sick hiker
Harrison Ford has a home in Wyoming, and like a good citizen, he
sometimes offers the use of his private helicopter for rescue missions
to save his town the $1,000 fee for an airlift. Recently, two young
women were hiking on Table Mountain when one of them fell ill and could
not make it down the mountain on her own. Her friend called for help on
a cell phone, and they were able to move the injured hiker to a nearby
meadow to await rescue.
Imagine their surprise when the
helicopter landed and they got on board to find that the pilot was
non-other than Hollywood superstar Harrison Ford! Wearing a cowboy hat
and a simple tee shirt, Ford flew the sick woman to safety... and didn't
even complain when she threw up in his helicopter. What a guy!
(Link | Photo)
Ryan Gosling breaks up a street fight
While walking along a New York City street, actor Ryan Gosling spotted a
disagreement between a street vendor and another man. Without saying a
word, Gosling stepped in and broke up the fight, using his intimidating
muscles as incentive to stop the men from becoming physical. Gosling
then gave the vendor $20 to end the dispute over the $10 painting, and
then he carried on with his business as if nothing had happened.
Thankfully for us Gosling-lovers, a couple of excited fans captured the whole thing on their cell phone camera:
(Photo)
Tom Cruise helps woman who was hit by car
Tom Cruise gets a lot of bad press, but he has also done several heroic
acts that don't get a lot of media attention. In 1996, for instance,
Cruise witnessed a woman get hit by a car (which then sped off without
stopping) in Los Angeles. Cruise called for help and stayed with the
woman until the ambulance arrived. He then followed the ambulance to
the hospital, and when he found out that she wasn't insured, he paid for
the whole $7,000 hospital bill himself.
Cruise is also credited
in 1996 with saving two young boys from being crushed against a fence by
crowds of fans and paparazzi at one of his premiers, and for sending
help to a sinking ship while vacationing with then-wife Nicole Kidman.
Sounds like a busy year!
(Link 1 | Link 2 | Photo)
Kate Winslet rescues elderly woman from burning home
Actress Kate Winslet was staying at British billionaire Richard
Branson's multi-million dollar Virgin Island estate in Summer 2011 when
the home was struck by lightning. After Kate made sure that her
children were safely outside the house, she went back in and scooped up
Branson's 90 year-old mother, Eve, in her arms, carrying her out of the
house to safety. The entire estate then burned to the ground.
Branson,
who says he woke up and fled into the night buck-naked, describes how
Winslet said, "It was like being on a film set where you're waiting for
the words 'cut' but they just don't come."
(Link | Photo)
Nomar Garciaparra rescues women from harbor
In 2005, Boston Red Sox player Nomar Garciaparra rescued two women who
had fallen into Boston Harbor. Garciaparra and his uncle had been in
his harbor-side condominium when he heard a scream and a splash. They
ran outside just in time to see a second woman fall in, hitting her head
on the pier as she fell.
Garciaparra and his uncle jumped into
the water (reportedly from the 20 foot high balcony!) and pulled the
women to shore. One woman was unconscious at the time, but the other
was apparently alert enough to recognize her rescuer, asking, "Are you
Nomar?!"
(Link | Photo)
Garth Brooks saves two kids from fire
Two young brothers, ages 10 and 14, were home alone on school vacation
when they heard someone pounding on their door. When they opened it,
there was country music star Garth Brooks and another (unidentified)
man, yelling for them to leave the house because a dangerous grass fire
was heading their way.
The boys got in Brooks' truck, and he
drove them through thick smoke to safety. The fire burned over 600
acres of land, but firefighters were able to save the boys' home. The
fire was stopped just a few feet from the house.
(Link | Photo)
Arnold Schwarzenegger saves struggling swimmer
While vacationing in Hawaii with his family, then-California governor
and action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger noticed a man in the water who
seemed to be struggling. Schwarzenegger swam out to the man, who told
him that he was having cramps and couldn't swim back to shore.
Schwarzenegger then helped the man onto a boogie board and swam him back
to shore, then sat with him until he regained his breath and composure.
(Link | Photo)
Vin Diesel pulls family from burning car
Vin Diesel was riding his motorcycle through Hollywood, CA, when the car
in front of him lost control, rolling several times and bursting into
flames. Thinking quickly, Diesel stopped his bike, ran to the burning
car, and pulled the two children from the backseat. He then calmly
instructed the driver to climb over the back seat and get out of the
car. Minutes later, the car was engulfed in flames.
(Link | Photo)
Twitter Heroes: Demi Moore, Rihanna, and Donnie Walberg
Sometimes an heroic act can be as simple as calling attention to
someone's needs. That was the case for these three celebrities, all of
whom sent tweets that ended up saving lives.
When one of Demi
Moore's many Twitter followers posted about killing herself, Moore
responded to ask if she was serious. Just doing so directed enough
attention that the authorities were able to locate the girl and get her
some help before she could inflict harm upon herself.
When one of
Donnie Walberg's fans tweeted about needing a kidney transplant, he
retweeted to get the word out, and a donor was found. Rihanna has
helped many children who suffer from cancer by searching for donors for
bone marrow transplants.
(Link | Photo 1 | Photo 2)
Rapper T.I. talks suicidal man off a ledge
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