'Take Me Home Tonight': Stunning Acts of Generosity from Actors

Using his upcoming film "Take Me Home Tonight" as inspiration, actor Topher Grace took a moment to offer some hope for another talent in the wake of tragedy. He partnered with "The Fighter" producer Ryan Kavanaugh to provide "American Idol" contestant Chris Medina with a $35,000 donation toward the singer's Juliana Ramos Recovery Fund. Medina's fiance Juliana Ramos was in a car accident two months before their wedding. She suffered from a severe skull fracture and brain injury that left her confined to a wheelchair. Medina has cared for her since, while pursuing a music career.

Topher Grace was so moved by this story that his charitable contributions did not stop at the $35,000 donation. He pledged to also give 1% of the box office revenue from "Take Me Home Tonight" to Juliana's Foundation. Topher Grace's generosity is a reminder of many workers in the entertainment industry who donated their salary to help individuals or specific causes. Prior to her death in 1993, actress Audrey Hepburn donated all earnings she received from multiple projects to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). These projects include the made-for-television movie "Love Among Thieves" as well as films "Always," and "Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn."

Director Steven Spielberg felt that being paid for his work on "Schindler's List" would be inappropriate. He refused a salary, calling it "blood money" and sent any back end money intended for him to a non-profit organization that works with survivors of the Holocaust. Acts of generosity from actors went to a new height when three of Hollywood's leading men banded together to support one of their own. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell donated their salaries from the film "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" to the 2 year-old daughter of late actor Heath Ledger in 2008. They each worked on the movie as a "fill-in" for Ledger's character after his sudden death. The budget for "Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" was reportedly $30 million, making their combined pledge a quite hefty contribution toward the care of one individual.

As the country tried to recover from attacks on September 11th, 2001, actor Ryan Slattery's acts of generosity may place him in history books. He donated his entire salary from the TV show "JAG" to families of U.S. Navy servicemen who died during these tragic events. These contributions may hit close to home for the actor, whose birthday falls on September 11^th. Slattery's father was a Naval officer as well. Fellow TV actor Anthony Edwards sent his $125,000 paycheck for episodes he worked on during the final season of "ER" to a children's hospital in Africa. Edwards' acts of generosity inspired Steven Spielberg to add a matching donation while producer John Wells added $50,000. This brought the "ER" star's total to $300,000 for charity.