Hollywood stars shell out for Hillary
Hillary Clinton’s record-breaking fundraising haul comes in part from a strong effort by Hollywood stars, who have typically been a cash draw for Democrats over the years.
{mosads}The Democratic front-runner raised $47 million for the second fundraising quarter, more than any other candidate has ever raised during a three-month span. She tripled the haul of her closest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and continues to hold a strong lead in the polls.
Hollywood is no stranger to Democratic political fundraising. Several stars tried to come to the rescue ahead of the 2014 midterm elections, where Republicans clobbered Democrats on the way to taking back control of the Senate.
Clinton has had strong support from celebrities in the past, especially during her 2008 bid. But now that she’s the clear front-runner, she has less competition for endorsements.
Here are some of the celebrities that are financially supporting Clinton’s presidential bid.
Tobey Maguire ($2,700): The former Spider-Man star had previously hosted a fundraiser for Clinton in Los Angeles.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner ($2,700 each): The couple donated to Clinton just months before they announced that they will divorce. Affleck has won two Academy Awards for his roles in “Good Will Hunting” and “Argo.”
Richard Gere ($2,700): The “Pretty Woman” star was on Capitol Hill this week testifying on Tibet. It’s not the first time his name made its way into Clinton documents — a recent release of emails from her time at the State Department showed her staff forwarding articles mentioning Gere.
Bradley Whitford ($2,700): Whitford knows his way around the White House, having played White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on The West Wing.
Reese Witherspoon ($2,700): The academy award winning actress says she’s been asked several times to portray Hillary Clinton in films and has spoken out for more female-driven movies.
Leonardo DiCaprio ($2,700): The two-time Golden Globe actor and film producer previously appeared at a fundraising dinner for Clinton.
Steven Spielberg ($2,700): The “Schindler’s List,” “Jurassic Park” and “Jaws” director has an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion. A long-time Clinton supporter, he endorsed Hillary rather than Barack Obama in 2008.
Quincy Jones ($2,700): This 27-time Grammy award winning musician and entertainment company executive helped produce three of Michael Jackson’s best-selling albums.
Barbra Streisand ($2,700): The singer, songwriter, actress and filmmaker has been active in Democratic circles in the past, teaming up with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to help Democratic Congressmen in the midterms.
America Ferrera ($2,700) – Known for her leading role in the TV comedy “Ugly Betty,” Ferrara recently slammed Donald Trump for his comments about Latino immigrants, calling his statements “ignorant and racist.”
Magic Jonson ($2,700): The 12-time NBA All-Star is a known supporter of the Democratic Party and endorsed Clinton in her 2008 run for candidacy.
Dakota Fanning ($250): The 21-year-old actress mingled with Clinton this April at the 2015 DVF Awards, which honors inspirational women.
Beyoncé Knowles ($2,700): The multi-platinum recording star and wife of music-mogul Jay-Z is an outspoken Hillary supporter. Unauthorized posters have been seen online calling for a Hillary-Beyoncé 2016 ticket.
Jon Bon Jovi ($2,700): While he’s good friends with Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), who is running for the Republican nomination, Bon Jovi is a long-time Clinton supporter and held a fundraiser for her.
Larry Flynt ($2,700): The Hustler Magazine founder, who for years made his money off of pornography, endorsed Clinton in May, despite an admission that she probably does not approve of what he does to pay the bills.
Ari Emanuel ($2,700): The talent agent and co-CEO Of William Morris Endeavor, who inspired Ari Gold of the hit television show “Entourage,” adds his name to the teeming list of Hollywood donors. Emanuel’s brother, Rahm, is the mayor of Chicago and former chief of staff to President Obama.
Lukas Haas ($2,700): The actor has appeared in more than 50 movies over 30 years, most recently in “Transcendence,” which starred Johnny Depp.
John Galecki ($2,700): Galecki plays Leonard in “The Big Bang Theory.”
Bryan Cranston ($2,700): The Breaking Bad actor has publicly praised the Affordable Care Act and the Obama Administration.
Jesse Eisenberg ($1,000): After roles in “Zombieland” and “The Social Network,” he’ll play Lex Luthor in next summer’s “Batman vs. Superman.”
Sarah Silverman ($2,700): This comedian is a vocal liberal activist, using comedic YouTube videos to support the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party.
Chris Colfer ($2,700): One of the stars of the hit television show “Glee,” Colfer is an outspoken anti-bullying advocate and has worked on suicide prevention in the LGBT community.
Elizabeth Banks ($2,700): The popular actress has most recently starred in The Hunger Games series. She told Larry King last month that she’d like to campaign for Clinton.
Sean Astin ($2,700): Astin portrayed Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings triology and even tried his hand at campaign managing for a House special election in California later won by Rep. Janice Hahn (D).
Lori McCreary ($2,700): McCreary already supports female secretaries of State as the executive producer of the television show “Madam Secretary.”
Leonard Amato ($2,700): The president of HBO Films helped create “Game Change,” the movie version of the book that chronicled the 2008 election.
Mary Steenburgen ($2,700): The Oscar-award winning actress spoke at the University of Arkansas’s Clinton School of Public Service back in 2005.
Eva Longoria, actress ($2,700): Longoria, a former “Desperate Housewives” star, spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Howard Stern ($2,700): The controversial shock-jock has had President Clinton on his show before.
Rob Reiner ($2,700): Reiner directed popular movies including “When Harry Met Sally” and is a vocal supporter of gay-rights.
Stevie Wonder ($2,700): The Grammy award-winning singer attended a fundraiser for Clinton earlier this year.
Alex Rodriguez ($2,700): The 14-time Major League Baseball All-Star signed one of the richest contracts in baseball history before steroid allegations led to a year-long suspension. In 2012, he endorsed Mitt Romney.
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