40 Celebrities Hollywood Deems Trustworthy, Ranked

Singer John Legend has one of those faces that you just instinctively trust. In many ways, he looks just like a teddy bear. The “All of Me” singer always stands up for what he believes in, and he’s the first black man to be an EGOT – that’s someone with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Impressive!

The “Ordinary People” singer is a family man, and has a history of charity work for multiple causes.

Sandra Bullock isn’t just a charismatic and critically acclaimed actress – she’s also a generous philanthropist. The Miss Congeniality star has donated $1M to the American Red Cross at least five times, and has donated millions towards relief efforts in various countries.

Sandra Bullock is also trustworthy because of her compassionate heart. The Gravity actress had planned to adopt a child when she was married to Jessie James, and went ahead with the adoption despite the public breakdown of her marriage. She adopted a second child in 2015.

Queen Latifah – born Dana Elaine Owens – is one of those people that just feels trustworthy. Perhaps the actress’s matriarchal roles in musicals Chicago and Hairspray add to the sense that she’d give you a hug if you needed one.

Queen Latifah also feels like a mother figure for women in hip-hop. After all, the rapper’s work influenced Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Eve, and Lil’ Kim. Admittedly, the actress has had a few run ins with the law, but she’s also weathered a difficult life.

Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins is a far cry from his most famous character, Hannibal Lecter. The actor is the President of the National Trust’s Snowdonia appeal, which raises money to preserve the Welsh countryside. He has also been a patron of the YMCA in his home town for over 20 years, and is a volunteer acting teacher.

Furthermore, Hopkins is the proud pet father of Niblo the cat, who he adopted in Budapest. According to the actor’s Twitter, he plays the piano for his pet.

With one of the most recognizable voices in showbusiness, James Earl Jones has touched many people’s lives. Whether through the booming tones of Mufasa in The Lion King, or as the ominous Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, the actor has embodied iconic fictional characters.

Incredibly, James Earl Jones had a stutter in his youth, and was mute until he was eight years old. The actor credits poetry and acting with improving his speech.

Did you know that Fargo actor Steve Buscemi used to be a firefighter? Born in Brooklyn, the actor was a New York City firefighter between 1980-1984 in the Little Italy part of the city. When 9/11 happened, the star volunteered with his ex-firehouse and worked 12 hour shifts. Several years later, the actor protested the closing of several firehouses.

Interestingly, Steve Buscemi has never wanted to change his unusual Hollywood face. He has declined having his wonky teeth fixed several times.

English singer songwriter Ed Sheeran is one of the world’s best-selling artists. The “Shape of You” singer has been involved with multiple charitable organizations, and participated in various charity songs. It doesn’t stop there though – Ed Sheeran doesn’t just perform for charities, he also donates his clothing to charity shops.

The crooner is an ambassador for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice and donates bags of clothes to the charity shop in his home town. He has also auctioned off some more recognizable items.

Steve Martin’s goofy exuberance makes us trust him right away. Perhaps we’re just suckers for the banjo, but the white haired comedic actor seems more than trustworthy to us, based on his smile alone.

The actor, comedian and musician has inspired many other comedians, including Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Jordan Peele. Think about it – who wouldn’t trust a man that encouraged so many funny people to do what they do best?

A certain generation of entertainers feel trustworthy to us because they make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe it’s because we watched them when we were kids, singing along to the optimistic tunes of old school musicals. Or, they were the friendly faces that popped up on our TVs every evening.

Carol Burnett has had a career that spans seven decades. She was the first woman to host a comedy variety show with The Carol Burnett Show, and scared us all as Miss Hannigan in Annie.

She may play the mysterious M in the James Bond franchise, but English actress Judi Dench is much more trustworthy in real life. Adorably, the actress met her second husband, David Mills, when he invited her to open a squirrel enclosure at the wildlife center he runs.

Judi Dench has been outspoken about the lack of roles for older actresses in the movie industry, and is the patron of over 180 charities. She supports many charities related to theatre and the arts.

Actor Denzel Washington has been praised for remixing the traditional idea of a movie stardom. The Training Day star plays characters that show grace and humanity, rather than traditional action heroes that just value success or power. Washington shares these values in real life too. He was recently spotted comforting a homeless man, and waiting with him until the police arrived.

Additionally, Denzel Washington has been the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993.

Happy Days star Henry Winkler has a comforting presence due to his iconic role as leather jacket wearing Fonzi. Despite his prolific career, the actor is most proud of his series of kids’ books that focus on dyslexic child Hank Zipzer. Winkler was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult, and never thought he’d be capable of authoring a book.

With his hilarious role as Dr. Saperstein on Parks and Recreation, or as Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Winkler is a trustworthy face for a whole new generation.

TV host Oprah Winfrey is North America’s first black multi-billionaire, and has been called the greatest black philanthropist in US history. Born into poverty in rural Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey went on to revolutionize both television and philanthropy. The TV personality has given hundreds of millions of dollars towards education, and awarded hundreds of college scholarships.

The TV personality’s global charity, ‘Oprah’s Angel Network’ has provided relief support in the USA, and a leadership academy for girls in South Africa.

Academy Award winning actress Kathy Bates has a trustworthy aura, despite the dark characters she often plays. Indeed, the American Horror Story actress participated in the Human Rights Campaign video tribute that honored those killed in the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Kathy Bates is also a warrior, having battled against ovarian cancer. The Misery actress revealed on Twitter that she’d undergone a double mastectomy, and then in 2014 announced that the procedure led to lymphedema. She now raises awareness about the illness.

Actor Robin Williams is a celebrity with a trustworthy aura that’s sadly no longer with us. Despite the difficulties he faced in life, the Aladdin actor always brought joy to people’s lives. Whether via the outlandish Mrs. Doubtfire or the beloved blue Genie, audiences of all ages embraced Robin Williams.

Known as one of the best comedians of all time, Robin Williams cofounded Comic Relief USA along with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal. The performer also made regular benefit appearances in support of various causes.

Known for his roles in Die Hard, Love Actually and Sense & Sensibility, Alan Rickman is perhaps most associated with his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. Unlike the potions professor, Rickman was a compassionate and kind man, and an inspiration for the actors that worked with him.

Following Rickman’s tragic passing in 2016, Daniel Radcliffe recalled, “I’m pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in Britain and America. He didn’t have to do that.”

We’ll admit that some people on this list might just remind us of our grandparents, and have won our trust through age alone. However, Dame Helen Mirren also has a twinkle in her eye that convinces us of her trustworthiness. The English actress is delightfully unusual compared with other ladies her age.

Helen Mirren never had any children, and has commented that she has “no maternal instinct whatsoever.” The Gosford Park star is also an atheist.

Chrissy Teigen has amassed a huge following on Twitter, thanks to her down to earth personality. The model, along with husband John Legend, is a supporter of Planned Parenthood, and donated to the March for Our Lives rally against armed violence. Teigen also supports immigrant’s rights, and donated $200,000 following the George Floyd protests.

As well as her outspoken nature, Chrissy Teigen also has a softer side. She shares her parenting journey online, and recently raised awareness about miscarriage.

OK, with this one, we’ll admit that Paul Rudd just has an incredibly trustworthy face. Has the man aged at all since he starred in Clueless? Of course, Paul Rudd has stolen our hearts in numerous roles, leading us to believe he’s the nice guy he often portrays on screen. We want to hang out with Mike from Friends in real life!

After Rudd played a character with a stutter, he started supporting the Stuttering Association for the Young.

Forrest Gump actress Sally Field has played a host of roles across TV and film. As well as her extremely successful career, the actress also has an impressive resume when it comes to activism and philanthropy. The Mrs. Doubtfire star pioneered the early diagnosis of osteoporosis after setting up a campaign when she was diagnosed with the illness.

Sally Field is a fierce supporter of women’s rights and has hosted the Global Leadership Awards six times. She is also a supporter of LGBTQ rights.

Diana, Princess of Wales has been getting a lot of love recently, thanks to Netflix’s royal period drama The Crown. Of course, when Diana was alive, she was known as ‘The People’s Princess’ because of her loving attitude and extensive charitable work.

Princes Diana went outside of royal tradition, and was deeply involved with charities relating to AIDS and leprosy. She also campaigned for animal rights, and worked with homeless people. As well as this, the Princess visited Royal Brompton Hospital several times a week.

Not only is Harrison Ford Indiana Jones and Han Solo, he’s also an impressive environmental activist. The actor was involved in an environmental documentary in Indonesia, for which him and his crew were threatened with deportation. He has narrated a series of public service announcements for EarthShare, and stars in climate change documentary Years of Living Dangerously.

Amusingly, Harrison Ford also has a species of spider and a species of ant named after him. If that isn’t trustworthy, what is?

Perhaps best known as Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump, Gary Sinise’s first ever role was when he directed, produced and starred in Of Mice and Men. The actor supports a range of veteran’s organizations, and performs at military bases with the Lt. Dan Band.

Sinise is involved in many military charities, and actually received the Presidential Medal of Honor for his humanitarian work supporting Iraqi children. He has raised millions of dollars through the Gary Sinise Foundation which builds home for veterans.

Who wouldn’t trust the woman that played the flighty Donna Sheridan-Carmichael in Mamma Mia? Perhaps anyone who had seen that same woman play the ice cold Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Regardless, we declare Meryl Streep a trustworthy celebrity, based on her acting prowess alone.

Speaking about her extraordinary acting skill, Streep has commented that “Pretending is not just play. Pretending is imagined possibility.” Of course, Streep is also outspoken, and is an advocate for women. She did play Emmeline Pankhurst after all.

Actress Lily Tomlin started off as a stand-up comedian, and has continued to make us laugh into her 80s with her performance on Grace and Frankie. As a gay actress, Tomlin has lived through decades of journalists being uncomfortable with her relationship with future wife Jane Wagner.

Despite that, Tomlin has always been unapologetically herself, and has starred in many gay friendly films. Her comedy album Modern Scream includes her mocking the idea of straight actors distancing themselves from queer characters.

Maybe Kristen Bell feels trustworthy because of her role as the transformed Eleanor Shellstrop in afterlife sitcom The Good Place, or because she’s the well-meaning Princess Anna in Frozen. For other audiences, she’s low-key private investigator Veronica Mars, and for others she’s the all-powerful narrator of Gossip Girl.

In her private life, Bell waited until California legalized equal marriage to marry Dax Shepard. She has been a vegetarian since childhood, and supports animal rights charities. Who wouldn’t trust an animal lover?

There aren’t many celebrities in Hollywood more trustworthy than the one and only, Liam Neeson. The star of movies such as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Batman Begins, Taken and Silence, to name a few, has been the man you can count on in film for over three decades.

His iconic role as Oskar Schindler earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor back in 1993. Although he has had suffered personal loss in his life, the Northern Irish actor has always stayed committed to his work.

Matt Damon is a beloved actor, known for his roles in Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Alongside his stellar acting career, Damon also works with various foundations, including Feeding America, H20 Africa Foundation, and the One Campaign.

Matt Damon is one of our trustworthy celebrities because of his wholesome family life. He married Argentinian wife Luciana Bozán Barroso in 2005, and he considers her daughter his own. Altogether, they have four daughters.

Personally, we would trust actress and activist Jane Fonda with our lives. The Barbarella star has been speaking her mind throughout her entire career, starting with a vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. Fonda battled her way through Hollywood blacklisting and went on to protest the Iraq War.

Jane Fonda is a vocal environmental activist and has been arrested multiple times while protesting. She uses her celebrity to advocate for important issues, making her extremely trustworthy to us.

The incredible Julie Andrews has brought joy and warmth to millions of people across the world. Whether as nun turned governess Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, or fantastical singing nanny Mary Poppins, Andrews has soothed and entertained people of all ages.

Despite Julie Andrews’ poise and regal aura, the actress had a difficult start in life. She became her family’s main breadwinner as a child, starring in productions on the West End and Broadway. We’ll always trust Mary Poppins.

After Ed Sheeran, English actress Emma Watson is the second youngest trustworthy celebrity on this list. Starting her acting career as the precocious Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, Emma Watson went on to graduate from Brown University and become a UN Women Goodwill ambassador.

Watson’s HeForShe campaign encouraged men to advocate for gender equality, and her Goodreads book club Our Shared Shelf encourages monthly discussion. Much like Hermione, Emma Watson is a well read and trustworthy person.

Many people in the moviemaking business have said that Point Break star Keanu Reeves is one of the nicest actors to work with. The internet’s boyfriend is apparently kind and down to earth with crew and fans, despite being known as Hollywood’s ultimate introvert.

The Canadian star even negotiated a lower percentage of The Matrix sequels so that there would be a bigger special effects budget. He has commented that “Money is that last thing I think about.”

Actor Ian McKellen is considered so trustworthy that he is an ordained minister. Yes, we know that being trustworthy isn’t part of the ordainment criteria, but being asked to officiate someone’s wedding surely makes you a trustworthy sort of guy. Indeed, the Cats actor performed the ceremony when fellow actor and best friend Patrick Stewart married Sunny Ozell.

As an openly gay actor, McKellen has campaigned for LGBTQ rights for decades. He is a co-founder of lobby group Stonewall, and involved in other charitable causes.

Dick Van Dyke is the sort of actor that immediately inspires nostalgia. Who wouldn’t trust Bert the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins? Or television writer Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show? Who wouldn’t entrust their kids to wacky inventor Caractacus Potts from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? And tell us, who on earth wouldn’t trust crime solving doctor Dr. Mark Sloan from Diagnosis: Murder?

Despite his lifelong career, Van Dyke has continued delighting audiences into his old age. Check out his acapella group!

Dame Maggie Smith is one of the UK’s most recognizable actresses, whether through her role as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise, or as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.

With her knowing smile and twinkly eyes, Smith inspires a sense of trust, leading us to believe she’s more like the Reverend Mother in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, than the Reverend Mother in Sister Act. The actress is also a patron of the International Glaucoma Association.

Patrick Stewart plays deeply moral Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and pacifist Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series. While it’s certainly possible that we just trust people who play professors, Stewart is also an outspoken activist.

He has spoken about his difficult childhood in campaigns against domestic violence, and funded a postgraduate scholarship about the subject. After participating in genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? the actor became involved with PTSD charities.

With his welcoming smile and broad physique, Dwayne Johnson feels like someone we could trust to protect us. The wrestler turned actor has always radiated a charismatic persona, and has grown into a trustworthy figure in Hollywood.

The Moana star created a foundation for terminally ill children, and has supported various relief efforts. The actor is married to Lauren Hashian and has three daughters – Simone, from a previous marriage, and Tiana and Jasmine. Yes – those are Disney princess names!

Country singer, songwriter, and all round icon Dolly Porter is an active humanitarian. The “Jolene” singer founded the non-profit Dollywood Foundation in the 1980s, which promotes literacy and provides jobs in depressed areas. Parton has been involved in environmentalist causes, including preserving the bald eagle and responding to the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires.

During the global health crisis, the “9 To 5” singer donated $1 million towards research, which ultimately funded a company that produced a vaccine. In Dolly, we trust!

Actress and comedian Betty White has the longest television career of any entertainer, lasting over 80 years. The Hot in Cleveland star was the first woman to receive an Emmy award for Outstanding Game Show Host and has appeared in a slew of movies.

Obviously, Betty White is inherently trustworthy, beyond the need for explanation. But we should mention that she is a pet lover and animal advocate who works with multiple animal organizations. Of course she does.

When we think of trustworthy celebs, one of the first people to pop into our heads in Mr. Tom Hanks. Whether in Forrest Gump, or Mr. Banks, Hanks consistently thrills audiences with his fully rounded and warm characters.

Furthermore, Tom Hanks supports equal marriage, alternative fuels, and environmental protection. Also, while on a tour of the White House in 2004, he noticed the press corps didn’t have a coffee pot, and purchased them one. He has since done so several times. What a guy!