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Russia's invasion of Ukraine and attacks on its capital Kyiv hasn't stopped celebrities from visiting the war-torn country.
From the very first days of the war, when Sean Penn was announced to be in the country, to recent visits from Orlando Bloom representing UNICEF, a number of American and British celebrities have set foot in Ukraine despite the clear and present danger.
Ukraine's President Zelensky was himself a comedian and actor before being elected to office in a landslide victory in 2019. He has made celebrity appearances of his own too, speaking via video link at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
Juda Engelmayer, the CEO of New York-based public relations firm HeraldPR, told Newsweek: "Often, many leaders around the world seek these people out for support and make use of their fame and respect for their various campaigns. Here, the narrative for Ukraine is one of freedom and human rights and an escape from the totalitarianism that Putin and Old Guard Russia represent. Celebrities help maintain public and, as a result, political support for the causes."
While Joe Biden made a surprise appearance in Ukraine on February 20, 2023, there have been many more recognizable, and perhaps unexpected faces, turning up to show their support in Ukraine.
Sean Penn - Multiple Visits
Oscar-winner Sean Penn was already in Ukraine when the war broke out on February 24, 2022. He'd been in the country filming a documentary about Russian aggression in Ukraine. Days later, he shared on social media that he had been forced to flee the country like thousands of others, abandoning his car on the way to Poland.
Penn has returned on a number of occasions, and in November 2022, brought one of his Oscar statuettes for Zelensky, telling him "when you win [the war], bring it back to Malibu."
Angelina Jolie - April 2022
As well as being a notable actress and filmmaker, Angelina Jolie is well-known for her global humanitarian work.
She visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and met people displaced by the war with Russia. A video of Jolie in Ukraine went viral as it showed her being rushed to a bomb shelter as air-raid sirens went off around her.
Cary Fukunaga - April 2022
TV and film director Cary Fukunaga, the man behind True Detective, Beasts of No Nation and No Time to Die, visited Ukraine in April 2022.
He was there as a filmmaker, documenting humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, visiting Lviv, Kyiv, Bucha, Kharkiv, and Kramatorsk, according to the governmental resource website Visit Ukraine.
Beau Willimon - April 2022
The writer behind the Netflix series House of Cards, and the movie The Ides of March, Beau Willimon was in Ukraine in a professional capacity. He documented "the atrocities of Russian troops," according to the Bucha city council, as reported by Ukraine World, a website that aims to combat disinformation.
U2 - May 2022
Bono and Edge of U2 put on a special performance in a Kyiv subway station in May 2022. The metro station they performed in was doubling up as a bomb shelter at the time.
It has been recently announced that U2 and The Rolling Stones will perform in a Live-Aid-style benefit concert for Ukraine on June 24, 2023.
Ben Stiller - June 2022
On behalf of The UN Refugee Agency, Ben Stiller traveled from Poland to Ukraine, visiting Lviv, Kyiv, and the smaller towns of Irpin and Makariv, as a goodwill ambassador.
"I'm here to learn, to share stories that illustrate the human impact of war, and to amplify calls for solidarity," he wrote on his Instagram account, documenting his trip.
Jessica Chastain - August 2022
Jessica Chastain opened up about her "devastating" trip to Ukraine during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
She documented her trip through Ukraine in a series of tweets after she had had a few weeks to process what she saw there.
I needed a few weeks to process everything I saw from my trip to Kyiv. We landed in Poland, drove 4 hrs then took a train for another 11. I was nervous and the length of the journey gave me time to calm myself. I’m going to now start sharing with you guys what I saw. pic.twitter.com/fFsloiBwuw
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) September 1, 2022
Liev Schreiber - August 2022
An actor with Ukrainian heritage, Liev Schreiber became the ambassador for United24, a fundraising platform for Ukrainian medical care, in July 2022.
In August, Schreiber visited the country and posed for a picture with President Zelensky and former Ukraine soccer player Andriy Shevchenko, a fellow United24 ambassador. Other ambassadors include Mark Hamill, Barbra Streisand, Brad Paisley, and the band Imagine Dragons.
David Letterman - October 2022
The 75-year-old comedian and talk show host was another celebrity to make a surprise trip to Ukraine when he sat down with President Zelensky for the Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
According to The Washington Post, David Letterman flew to Warsaw, took a five-hour drive in a van to the Polish border with Ukraine, then caught an overnight train to Kyiv.
Jack Gleeson - February 2023
Former Game of Thrones villain Jack Gleeson went to Kyiv in February 2023 to speak with Ukrainian actors, in an effort to raise funds for the country's armed forces, according to the Daily Mail.
Actor Jack Gleeson famous as King Joffrey in “Game of Thrones” came to Kyiv. During his meeting within Film workshop with Ukrainian actors the air raid alert in Kyiv started. ‘The show must go on’, the actor said, and decided not to interrupt the meeting.#StandWithUkraine ? pic.twitter.com/PdzOXe1OOQ
— SUSPILNE NEWS ? (@suspilne_news) February 16, 2023
According to a tweet posted by the Ukraine-based Suspline News, an air-raid siren went off during the workshop, but Irish actor Gleeson continued by saying, "The show must go on."
Orlando Bloom - March 2023
British actor Orlando Bloom is the latest celebrity to show his support for Ukraine. Representing UNICEF as their goodwill ambassador, he visited a center in Kyiv that provides children who've been affected by the war with support.
He sat down with President Zelensky, sharing a picture of the pair meeting on his Instagram.
Why Do Celebrities Visit Ukraine?
While most of the celebrities listed have shared their thoughts as to why they wanted to visit Ukraine after Russia's invasion, the PR expert Engelmayer said it's beneficial for both sides.
"As Volodymyr Zelensky comes from the world of celebrity in his own right, the kinship with respected entertainers helps him look Western and popular, hence, we all want to be on his side of this."
He continued, "It is all perception and theatrics, and it works. For the actor himself or herself, it could satisfy a yearning to be a thoughtful leader on issues, like Sean Penn, but it also helps make them marketable for big speaking engagements, and acting roles by studios who think that the ideologies of the activist actors will bring more box office/streaming consumers and the like. It can make someone more relevant and help the actor earn more roles and or commercial placements."
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more