The Center For Responsive Politics reports via Open Secrets….
And just as the stars frequently spend large sums of money to support their lifestyles, many also donate to political campaigns.
Of the 60 screenwriters, actors, directors and producers nominated for an Oscar, 23 have contributed to a federal political candidate or committee since 1989. And in keeping with Hollywood’s longstanding pattern, most of these donations have been directed to Democratic candidates and parties.
Here, we look at nominees for some of the most popular awards who also are political donors, starting with nominees associated with the films nominated for Best Picture.
American Hustle
This film, which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture earlier this week, has a producer — Charles Roven — with a trail of contributions to Democratic campaigns dating all the way back to 1990. Most recently, he’s been a fan of Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): $500 in 2010 and $2,500 in 2012. Another of the movie’s producers, Richard Suckle, has given even more to Gillibrand — $4,800 in 2010 and $2,500 in 2012.
David O. Russell, nominated for both Best Writer and Best Director, contributed to Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) in 2008. The youthful cast is not as generous; only one nominated actor has made a contribution. Bradley Cooper gave $750 to Hillary Clinton‘s campaign in 2008.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Almost all of the major nominees for “The Wolf of Wall Street” have made significant contributions. Leonardo DiCaprio gave $38,500 dollars in 2008 alone, with $26,000 of that going to the Democratic National Committee and the rest going to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and presidential candidate Barack Obama. Since then, he has been more modest, giving $2,500 to Obama in 2012, and $5,200 (so far) to Alison Grimes’s campaign to unseat GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
Martin Scorcese, who has worked with DiCaprio in many of his movies, has been contributing to Democrats since 1992 and to the Directors Guild of America‘s PAC since 2004. His contributions totaled $14,500 in 2012, with $4,000 going to the Obama campaign. So far, he has contributed $750 to Democrats in the 2014 cycle. Finally, Terence Winter, nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, has contributed $800 to Moveon.org this cycle.
Captain Phillips
Based on the true story of Somali pirates commandeering the Maersk Alabama in 2009 and starring Tom Hanks, “Captain Phillips” has three nominees — writer Billy Ray, producer Michael De Luca, and producer Scott Rudlin — who are political contributors. Ray, who has given the most, has been donating since 2004; his biggest gift was $26,200 to the DNC. So far this cycle, he has donated $6,300 to newly-elected Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
Michael De Luca may have switched party loyalties between 2004 and 2014; De Luca’s 2004 contributions went to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, while his only contribution so far this cycle is a relatively small donation of $500 directed to Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska).
Nebraska
This was the only film in which more than one of the major nominees has contributed to Republicans. Although producer Albert Berger donated to Democrats in 2004, 2008, and 2012, then-Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) received $1,000 from Berger in 1992. Director Alexander Payne gave $1,000 to Sen. Chuck Hagel‘s (R-Neb.) campaign in 2008 (but donated $2,300 to Obama in the same cycle).
12 Years a Slave
Two nominees from “12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley and Dede Gardner, have made contributions, but not since the 2004 election cycle. Ridley, the film’s screenwriter, donated to two presidential campaigns then — $500 to John Kerry (D-Mass.) and $500 to Wesley Clark (D). Gardner, a producer of the movie, also contributed to Kerry’s campaign in 2004.
Dallas Buyers Club
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor in “Dallas Buyers Club”, Jared Leto gave to Rep.Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Obama in 2012. He is one of the youngest contributors of this year’s Oscar nominees.
Philomena
Only one major nominee from this film is a contributor: Gabrielle Tana, a producer, has been contributing to Democratic campaigns since 2004.
None of the producers or nominees for screenwriting, acting or directing awards connected to the two other Best Picture nominees — “Her” and “Gravity” — have made contributions at the national level, according to OpenSecrets.org records.
Oscar Nominees’ Contributions Since 2008
| Movie | Donor | Nomination | Total Contribs | % to Dems |
| American Hustle | Charles Roven | Producer/Best Picture | $3,000 | 100% |
| American Hustle | Richard Suckle | Producer/Best Picture | $7,300 | 100% |
| American Hustle | David O. Russell | Director/Writer | $500 | 100% |
| American Hustle | Bradley Cooper | Supporting Actor | $750 | 100% |
| August: Osage County | Meryl Streep | Actress | $39,832 | 100% |
| August: Osage County | Julia Roberts | Supporting Actress | $3,500 | 100% |
| Blue Jasmine | Woody Allen | Adapted Screenplay | $500 | 100% |
| Captain Phillips | Billy Ray | Adapted Screenplay | $93,955 | 90% |
| Captain Phillips | Michael De Luca | Producer/Best Picture | $500 | 100% |
| Captain Phillips | Scott Rudin | Producer/Best Picture | $4,500 | 44% |
| Dallas Buyers Club | Jared Leto | Supporting Actor | $1,905 | 100% |
| Nebraska | Albert Berger | Producer/Best Picture | $8,350 | 100% |
| Nebraska | Rob Yerxa | Producer/Best Picture | $700 | 100% |
| Nebraska | Alexander Payne | Director | $12,500 | 92% |
| Philomena | Gabrielle Tana | Producer/Best Picture | $3,000 | 100% |
| Wolf of Wallstreet | Martin Scorsese | Director | $35,200 | 84% |
| Wolf of Wallstreet | Leonardo DiCaprio | Actor | $48,700 | 100% |
| Wolf of Wallstreet | Terence Winter | Original Screenplay | $10,850 | 94% |
Other Nominees
The Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominees from “August: Osage County,” Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, each contributed in the 2012 cycle. Meryl Streep, the actress with the most nominations in Oscar history, didn’t have a donation history until then, but she jumped in and gave a total of $39,832 to Democrats. Aside from the $5,000 that she contributed to Obama’s campaign, most of her money went to state-specific Democratic parties. Roberts made a single contribution of $3,500 to the Democratic National Committee in 2012.
Writer Ethan Hawke of “Before Midnight” contributed $18,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2004, while Woody Allen, nominated for writing the “Blue Jasmine” script, has contributed to various Democratic candidates over the years. His contributions date all the way back to 1990, halt for a decade, and pick up again in 2000 with a contribution to former Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), who was running for president. As recently as 2013, Allen donated $500 to Alison Grimes, the same candidate to whom Leonardo DiCaprio contributed this cycle.
The entertainment industry writ large — including companies and individuals in TV, movies and music — has been a huge and reliable contributor to Democrats for some time. In the 2012 campaign cycle, it gave nearly $70 million to campaigns, parties, PACs and outside spending groups, with 73 percent of it going to Democratic candidates or causes. The total is up from 2008, when Hollywood wrote $51.3 million in political checks, but enthusiasm for Barack Obama’s first presidential run prompted those in the industry to send a full 79 percent of it to Dems that year. In any case, Republicans have not stood much of a chance.
With another election approaching, Democrats will want to stick with that script.
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