Just Try Hating These Likable Stars

The December death of Betty White rocked the country, and for good reason.

The sitcom star made us smile for decades, doing so with a combination of sweetness and soul. She never chose a political side or talked down to viewers for embracing one leader over the other. The only lectures she delivered involved caring for our four-legged friends.

She leveraged her fame to speak upon behalf of animals’ health and safety.

It’s one reason we mourned her loss more than a standard celebrity. Her genteel spirit is becoming an exception, not the norm. Just ask Pink, who barked at pro-life Americans not to listen to her music ever again following the end of Roe v. Wade.

And Pink has plenty of surly company.

The following stars follow White’s endearing spirit. They’re here to entertain us, not wag their fingers at our perceived flaws. Some have done just that for decades. Others weaponize their social media flocks to inspire, not incite.

They’re all a welcome part of the Hollywood landscape.

Jeff Goldblum

The “Jurassic Park” actor is everywhere these days. He’s a key cog in the “Jurassic World” franchise, part of Disney+’s playful “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” series and an in-demand product pitchman.

His signature line readings are ripe for mockery in the grand William Shatner, Christopher Walken tradition, but Goldblum doesn’t lean on that tic to talk down to his fans. He just works, and works, enhancing films with his inscrutable presence.

Yes, he spoke out against Donald Trump during the 2020 presidential election, but his performances, quirky persona and inimitable style stand much taller.

Dolly Parton

She’s a legend, full stop. 

Parton’s legacy brims with pop culture smashes (“Nine to Five,” penning “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” to name but a few) and a larger than life … personality. She’s kept her brand sweet and uplifting, never afraid to open her purse when the right cause comes along. She’s the sweet aunt who always makes us grin and never has an unkind word to share.

And, over time, she’s given away millions to help the less fortunate. More recently, she wrote a $1 million check to help make the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine possible, avoiding the bitter battles over the medication in the process.

Reporters occasionally goad her into talking politics, but she doesn’t take the bait. She went so far as to turn down the Presidential Medal of Freedom to keep herself as apolitical as possible.

Kevin Hart

The wisecracking superstar is one of the most bankable comic actors around. His social media following is huge – 37.3 million follower his wit and wisdom on Twitter alone. And he flexes it to promote his work, thank fans for their kind support and share his hard-working, upbeat spirit.

He generally avoids politics, understanding his job is to make people laugh above all else.

“For me, I know my lane. The day I jump out that lane and do something else is the day your head gets bit off.”

Kurt Russell/Goldie Hawn

The Hollywood power couple have been together for decades, and during that time they’ve been laser focused on entertainment above all else. In fact, both aggressively avoid spilling on hot button topics like immigration or gun control.

For Russell, getting into political skirmishes isn’t why he became an actor in the first place.

He refers to himself as a “court jester,” not a political pundit. Hawn, the ageless star of “Private Benjamin,” charts a similar course. She told Megyn Kelly earlier this year that she understands why the public gets exasperated by political stars.

'I think it's why it drives people crazy when Hollywood tries to act holier than thou and starts lecturing middle America about morality and so on,' she said. ''And you know, these people sitting in Iowa who have never done any, they've never tried to put someone on a casting couch … They're like, you could save your lectures for somebody else.' 

Keanu Reeves

He’s killed more people on screen than most actors thanks to the bloody good “John Wick” franchise. Off-screen, he’s as kind as any superstar, and his colleagues can’t spare a nasty word about him. He’s endlessly polite and accommodating to fans and strangers alike, by all accounts.

Need more? He runs a foundation that supports children’s hospitals, but he leaves his name off the group to keep the focus where it belongs.

Plus, Hollywood is chockablock with tales of grabby actors who prey on less powerful ingenues. Reeves makes it a practice to keep his hands off women when he takes pictures of them.