During his lifetime, there was no shortage of celebrity endorsements for Mandela’s calls to freedom. In turn, he welcomed their star power to illuminate South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid.
The world of entertainment was one of the most voracious supporters of Mandela during his long incarceration on Robben Island. During the 1980s, much attention was brought to apartheid in South Africa through clarion calls made by pop stars and actors, including Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, Morgan Freeman and a host of others. Mere hours after his death, countless celebrities paid tribute to Madiba, lauding him as a hero and inspiration; U2’s frontman Bono penned a 1,000-word essay for TIME magazine in honour of the freedom fighter. It’s safe to say that Mandela occupies hallowed ground in Hollywood and that his legacy would continue to gleam amongst the stars.
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