Terminally Ill ‘Simpsons’ Co-Creator Vows to Give Away Fortune

Excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter
by Gary Baum

Called both “brilliantly funny” and “mentally unbalanced” by Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening, television writer-producer Sam Simon, 58, has become known throughout Hollywood for his philanthropy since leaving the iconic animated series in 1993 (he retained a highly lucrative executive producer title). A Stanford grad who grew up in Beverly Hills and Malibu — and rose in the industry at a young age to become the show runner of Taxi at 24 — Simon confesses, “I don’t know,” when it comes to estimating his charitable donations to date.

His contributions include founding the Malibu-based Sam Simon Foundation (worth nearly $23 million as of 2011) that rescues the hungry (humans — but with vegan foods only) and strays (dogs, of any variety). His other pet charities include PETA, which in February thanked him for his support by naming its Norfolk, Va., headquarters the Sam Simon Center; international nonprofit Save the Children; and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a global marine conservation organization. His contributions led it to name one of the four ships in its fleet of vessels, used to hinder whaling and illegal fishing, the M/Y Simon in 2012. He also turned a Malibu spread into a canine haven that rescues dogs from kill shelters and trains them as companions for the deaf.

Five months ago, the nine-time Emmy winner — whose post-Simpsons projects have included directing (The Drew Carey Show), hosting (the short-lived poker reality series Sam’s Game for Playboy TV) and consulting (currently on FX’s Anger Management) — was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. He confirmed during a May 16 WTF With Marc Maron podcast that he was given the prognosis of three to six months to live and that he will donate nearly all of his sizable Simpsons royalties — which he has said earn him “tens of millions” annually — to charity. (Simon’s marriages to Jennifer Tilly and Playboy Playmate Jami Ferrell were childless, or child-free, depending on your point of view.) “I think it’s really nice for him that he’s doing it now and he gets to see the results of his philanthropy,” says Tilly. “He really does have a passion to survive, and the longer he’s on the earth, the more good work he can do.” On July 1, Simon spoke frankly to THR about what goes on in the mind of someone who has much to give but not a lot of time to give it.

THR: How active can you be with your charitable work right now?

Simon: I was never that hands-on with any of it. I’ve just been fortunate to find great people to run things. Frankly, one of the pleasures of the foundation is hanging out with the people because they are some of the nicest people in my life.

THR: How did you get involved in animal rights?

Simon: I was just an animal lover. Everything that the Sam Simon Foundation does is supposed to help dogs and people — that’s our mission. I like dogs and meeting people whose dogs we’ve saved with our free-surgery day. When The Drew Carey Show did a show about greyhound racing, I was on the show and asked the writer for a script change. I didn’t think it affected the story at all, but they didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to take any money from this episode and [wanted] to make a statement about dog racing, so I donated my money from this episode to PETA. So PETA set up this photo shoot and were supposed to get these six dogs from this California greyhound rescue on this [race] track. I got up there, and there were no dogs. They said that the greyhound track found out about the PETA shoot, so if they put their dogs in the shoot, they were going to kill the six dogs that the rescue was going to get the next month. I just thought that was pretty startling. Then I started hanging around with those PETA maniacs, and it’s a slippery slope, and I just slipped all the way down to the bottom.

THR: You said to Marc Maron on his podcast that you’ve been aggressive about the giving you’ve done, that you are giving most of all you can give. At what point did you feel morally compelled to go all the way?

Simon: One thing is, I get pleasure from it. I love it. I don’t feel like it is an obligation. One of the things about animal rights, which is not the only thing that I care about in this world, is that your money can bring success. I see results. There is stuff happening, really good stuff, every week. I’m not sure you get that with a lot of disease charities. If you were donating to environmental causes for the past 20 years, do you think your money is doing anything? Because I don’t, and I used to support some conservationist stuff — Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund. They’re treading water. Climate change is a big part of their problem. The environment has been destroyed, basically.

THR: What change do you want to see in the world?

Simon: I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don’t do anything, and they don’t work. Veganism is an answer for almost every problem facing the world in terms of hunger and climate change. It helps people’s health. Meat is the biggest greenhouse gas producer. There’s also the cruelty and suffering aspect. When people do meatless Mondays, and when people adopt instead of buying a dog, that’s a PETA victory.

Kids Against Animal Cruelty, Started By Teen Actor Lou Wegner, Is One Of Country’s Fastest-Growing Rescues

The person behind one of the country’s fastest-growing animal rescues can’t even vote yet. And neither can most of the people leading its 10 chapters across the nation.

Lou Wegner, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years.

Lou said he became aware of euthanasia at shelters when he went to Los Angeles to make the short film “Be Good to Eddie Lee.” The director suggested that he volunteer at an animal shelter.

Until then, Lou thought shelters were safe havens for strays and lost pets. “It was heartbreaking. All these dogs crying in their cages. Knowing they would be put down broke my heart,” he said.

The group started with Lou and his friends, carrying signs on street corners, and a Facebook page with 47 friends. Now it has more than 12,000 U.S. members and 50,000 members, supporters and partner coalitions across the globe, he said.

The group gets a boost whenever Lou hits the red carpet or the airwaves. He had a small role in Clint Eastwood’s “Trouble With the Curve,” just finished a pilot called “The Thundermans” for Nickelodeon, and co-hosts a weekly Global Voice Broadcasting radio show called “Love That Dog Hollywood! Kids & Animals.”

Brenda Barnette, the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services who has been on the show, said Lou is “a well-spoken advocate for animals and for peer involvement.” At events where he’ll be photographed or when the paparazzi are lurking, he’s seldom without a T-shirt with a Kids Against Animal Cruelty logo, she said.

With that kind of exposure, the group’s goal has become global – getting people to adopt from shelters, to spay and neuter pets, and educating them about pet responsibility, Lou said. He advocates a no-kill policy, and hopes adults will join in because “they know so much more than we do.”

The growing popularity of the teen, who is also a member of the pop band Blonde, helped save a shelter dog that might have otherwise been euthanized. Tommy Joe, an 11-month-old black Lab in South Carolina, wasn’t too popular when his photo was posted on the group’s Facebook page. Lou said the post garnered no likes or comments.

He recalled that the dog “was skinny and he looked sad. I thought he was doomed.” So he posted online messages to the dog, drawing attention to its case and leading a group called For the Love of Dogs in Chester, S.C., to save Tommy Joe.

KAAC chapters around the country are run by teens, including a pair of sisters in New York City who worked with several groups to find lost animals and get food to people whose pets were starving in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. An Arizona chapter is run by one of Lou’s nephews, and a cousin heads the Minnesota chapter.

Lou hopes to have a chapter in every state eventually, “because the bigger the group you work with, the bigger difference you can make.”

“They euthanize just as many animals every day as we have saved. It’s like throwing a Band-Aid in a river,” he said.

He said there’s also the need to educate children who commit cruelty to animals, as in the recent cases of a 12-year-old California boy arrested after police said he got mad at his family’s dog and hung it on a door handle. In Las Vegas, police say two 11-year-olds threw rocks at a cat giving birth, killing her six kittens. Lou said he would make those children witness what happens in the euthanasia room at a shelter.

Robin Harmon, who runs a small dog transport program for Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles and met Lou at a shelter, said she “was especially impressed that at a young age, he could control his feelings and the sadness that we all feel when we are helping at high-kill shelters.”

“I have barely been able to do this and I am old enough to be Lou’s grandmother,” she said.

The sadness is hard to deal with, Lou agreed.

“Saving one keeps you going,” he said.

from http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Inspiring Little Stories

TOBEY MAQUIRE

Tobey Maquire is really committed to veganism!

Tobey was recently spotted hanging out in Las Vegas with his buddy Leonardo DiCaprio. The two A-listers went to Cut inside the Palazzo hotel to grab a steak dinner. Except Tobey skipped the steak. And basically everything else.

He ate only vegan items and drank water while Leo and the rest of their party drank adult beverages and had steak.

Tobey takes veganism very seriously. He apparently hates the idea and smell of leather so much that he doesn’t allow it in his home.

Way to be a champion for the animals, Tobey!

ROBIN WILLIAMS

Chicago native Robin Williams (61), who got his big break in acting playing Mork in the 1978 television hit Mork & Mindy, stopped eating meat and dairy to become more healthy after having heart surgery in 2009. Williams was on a November replay of the Late Show with David Letterman last night and appeared to be his healthiest yet. Most recently he was performing for the New York Comedy Festival in November which brings together top rated comedians each year for a week long laugh fest.

Williams joins a growing number of celebrities who have joined vegans in their quest to be healthy by eliminating meat and dairy from their food intake. For example, instead of drinking cow milk, many turn to the much healthier alternative readily available – almond milk.

Anne Hathaway Celebrates Wedding Day with Vegan Menu

Anne Hathaway officially became a “Mrs.” She, and now husband Adam Shulman, exchanged vows in front of more than 150 guests on theCalifornia coast. The reception included an all-vegan menu similar to the one at Hathaway’s engagement party. Such plant-based goodies included at the previous affair were veggie burgers, cupcakes and truffle macaroni and cheese.

Natalie Portman’s wedding planner, Yifat Oren, and event professional Stefanie Cove helped in creating what seems like the perfect weekend. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Fiona Apple Cancels Tour To Stay with Her Sick Pit Bull

Fiona Apple sadly announced she would be canceling her South American tour, because her rescue pit bull has become very ill.

The talented singer wrote a 4-page letter on Facebook expressing her deepest sorrow for letting fans down, but also explained she needs to be with her pooch.

Her 14-year-old dog, Janet, has been sick with Addison’s Disease and for about two years now she has had a tumor in her chest. Apple rescued the pit bull after she was discovered in Los Angeles’s Echo Park with a rope around her neck and bites covering her body. At the time, it was found that four-month-old Janet was used for dog fighting. Well, now Apple feels she can’t leave her side and as she explains, “Janet has been the most consistent relationship of my adult life, and that is just a fact.”

Apple noticed Janet’s status declining since her last tour and she can’t take the chance in leaving her. She wrote, “She’s my best friend and my mother and my daughter, my benefactor, and she’s the one who taught me what love is. I can’t come to South America. I just can’t leave her now, please understand,” Apple explains.

Betty White Loves Being Vegan

The 90-year-old Betty White looks so amazing, she must have found the fountain of youth.  So why would the former “Golden Girl” tell us about it? Because the answer is simple: Loving animals and going vegan is all it takes to extend your life.  Not surprising, she goes one step further and admits she loves animals more than people because, “They never lie to you.  You know that when they tell you something they mean it.  They just love you, it’s that simple.”  Her new show, Off Their Rockers, hit 7.2 million viewers on its premier.

Ricky Gervais’ Simple Solution to Stopping Animal Testing

Well, it’s not a real solution to stopping animal testing, but it’s worth mentioning

Funnyman and animal advocate Ricky Gervais, a supporter of the Humane Society International’s Be Cruelty-Free campaign, offered up a way to stop companies from testing shampoo on innocent animals.

He tweeted: Warning: Don’t get shampoo in your eyes. It really stings. There. Now no one has to torture any animals for their entire lives.

Obviously, he’s joking (sort of), but the truth behind the joke is that companies test shampoos, lipsticks, skin creams and more on animals in horrific painful ways, while none of it is necessary. In fact, the FDA doesn’t even require cosmetic companies to test their products on animals. Companies that do it choose to do it.

You can fix the problem by not getting shampoo in your eyes as Ricky suggests, or even better, buying cosmetics from companies that do not test on animals. If people won’t buy it, companies won’t do it.

Tara-Smith-Launches-Vegan-Tara-Smith-Hair-Care-Range

Celebrity stylist Tara Smith has launched a line of vegan hair care products in the United States.

Besides being free of animal derivatives, the products are also free of parabens, sodium laureth sulphates, glycols, artificial coloring and synthetic fragrances, big no-nos from the Cosmetic Database list due to their possible allergic and other health reactions.

“I think people shouldn’t be nervous and they have to understand that it’s going to feel different because the products don’t contain all of those harsh chemicals,” Smith said of the products, which range from $5.95-$9.95.

Smith has styled locks of celebrities like Demi Moore and the actresses of Sex and the City.

She studied for two years with Dr. Roger Barr, a chemist who lent his knowledge to other animal and earth friendly companies like The Body Shop.

Already a favorite in the UK, the Tara Smith Hair Care range has the slogan, “Tested on film stars, not on animals.”

I Will Never Go Back To a Sea World

Animal rights activists weren’t the only ones upset by the scenes of captive killer whales in the new film Rust and Bone. Actress Marion Cotillard has declared that she will never again visit Sea World because of her experiences on set.

Cotillard said, “I’d rather see whales in their own environment and not in a swimming pool. I will never go back to a Sea World.”

She continues, “I really feel uncomfortable in these places, where animals are kept in captivity, so when I got there, I was really anxious, but then I had to do the job and I met these people who are passionate about what they do. I respect them but I will never understand.”

As we mentioned last week, Animal Defenders International is asking the public to boycott the film. Cotillard has been vocal about her feelings on the subject of marine animals in captivity. You normally don’t hear an actor being critical of their own film. Based on her quotes, perhaps Cotillard herself would even support the boycott.

Alan Cumming

from http://www.vegetariantimes.com

Alan Cumming a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author.

Mike Tyson’s vegan transformation appears to be having quite the effect on people considering adopting the diet. The latest celebrity to feel inspired by Iron Mike to take the plunge is none other than Alan Cumming, who recently tweeted his decision.

“That’s it. I was toying with going the whole hog to veganism and now I see Mike Tyson is the new Vegan poster boy! Sold! Get ye back, seitan!”

Cumming, a veteran of film and stage, has long been a vegetarian, a lifestyle he follows because he simply does not like meat.

“Rotten carcasses don’t feel good inside in my body,” he told the Vegetarian Times in 2010. “I’ve also seen some horrible documentaries about the hormones and things that go into meat. On a health level, meat is so scary. I used to eat fish, but with fish there’s that mercury awfulness.”

In switching to veganism, he joins other celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne, Russell Brand and Elizah Dushku who have also dropped all animal products.

As for Tyson, he’s still enjoying the health gains he made by going vegan.

“It’s been eight months with this vegan stuff,” Tyson told Details magazine in early 2010, “but I get these explosions of energy. I don’t know how long they last, but they’re like explosions. So powerful.”

“I ate, like, the tiniest piece of meat, and I woke up violently sick,” he added. “It was vicious pain. I was throwing up. And I realized meat’s become a poison for me now.”

“Triple threat” doesn’t come close to describing Alan Cumming, 47, whose talent has blazed across movie and TV screens, theater stages, and concert halls. If you didn’t catch him in X-Men 2 or the Spy Kids franchise, perhaps you’ve seen his Emmy-nominated turn on The Good Wife, or heard a cut from his CD, I Bought a Blue Car Today. After a day of filming the British miniseries The Runaway in South Africa, New York-based Cumming took a rare break to talk to VT.

Q -Did an “aha” moment lead you to vegetarianism, or was it a process?

A- I just don’t like meat. Rotten carcasses don’t feel good inside in my body. I’ve also seen some horrible documentaries about the hormones and things that go into meat. On a health level, meat is so scary. I used to eat fish, but with fish there’s that mercury awfulness.

 Q- Any foods you can’t live without?

A -I love hummus. And I’m nuts about almonds, ha-ha! I keep them in every bag and pocket. I’m also a big soup fan. It’s not just about staying away from meat, it’s about keeping things in your diet that make you feel good. That’s why you eat vegetarian in the first place.

 Q -What’s your specialty as a cook?

A- I always make soup. I don’t cook terribly often in New York, but when I’m upstate in the Catskills, I love going to the farmers’ market and getting local produce. Local and organic is the best way to make really good food. Upstate, you can also talk to friends about cooking. You mill around in the kitchen, chatting, for ages.

 Q -How did Honey and Leon, two rescue dogs, come into your life?

A- A friend of mine was fostering Honey, who’s a collie-shepherd mix. She was 6 months old and a crazy little thing. I fell in love with her, took her in, and smothered her with love. Now she’s 10, and a well-balanced, lovely dog. Leon’s a Chihuahua. We adopted him from the owner of the antique shop where Grant (artist Grant Shaffer, Cumming’s spouse) first met him. The heartening thing is that when you make dogs feel safe, love them, and assure them it’s going to be all right, they become happy.

 Q -Famously, you lambasted fur-wearers from a Broadway stage when you played the emcee in Cabaret (for which Cumming won a Tony Award). To break character, your feelings must have been intense?

A -I said, “How many animals were culled for that?” I think killing to make or eat things is horrific. It seems like there was a movement against wearing fur in fashion, but overnight it’s fine again. I hate the way we pay lip service to issues like that. It saddens me these things are fads.

 Q -You were recently awarded an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. Is there anything you didn’t get to say to her in person?

A- A few years ago, I signed a petition asking the queen to stop using bearskin for those helmets (worn by Buckingham Palace guards) that tourists take pictures of. I didn’t get a chance to say this to the queen, but she should use a nice synthetic fiber for the helmets.

Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix

Casey Affleck

Born Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt on August 12, 1975. He is an American actor and film director. He’s the younger brother of actor and director Ben Affleck and married to Summer Phoenix. He played supporting roles in movies like Good Will Hunting, Ocean’s Eleven and Chasing Amy. He gained recognition and critical acclaim for his work in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford, which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

But did you know that one of his most important roles was banned from TV networks?

Casey took aim at the meat industry in a PETA public service announcement (PSA) by exposing its abuse of animals, but television networks refused to air it. A toned-down version of the PSA was created just to get it on the air.

In both versions of the PSA, Affleck shares his reasons for going vegan: “When people ask me why I don’t eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they are unhealthy and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry.'” Casey doesn’t mince words about how animals suffer in factory farms and slaughterhouses: “Chickens, cows, and pigs in factory farms spend their whole lives in filthy, cramped conditions, only to die a prolonged and painful death.”

Casey urges his fans to avoid meat—which he aptly calls “poison”—not only because it is the product of a cruel industry but also because it is a health nightmare, “proven to contribute to heart disease and cancer.”

Casey wanted to show his fans exactly what happens behind the scenes of the meat industry—images that most people never see. However, when the networks wouldn’t air the whole truth, Casey and PETA agreed to make a version of the same PSA with softer, toned-down images that the networks would agree to air.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Casey says, “All the videos that the wonderful people at PETA make that I see online and on TV resonate with me each and every time I watch them.” He made his video with the original images because he wanted others to get a glimpse of what goes on in factory farms.

It’s easy to improve your health and help animals, like Casey Affleck does. Take PETA’s Pledge to Be Veg for 30 Days, and we’ll e-mail you our tips on the best places to eat, our favorite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and the most delicious vegetarian convenience food.

Summer Phoenix

Born Summer Joy Bottom on December 10, 1978. She is an American actress, singer and model. She is the younger sister of River, Rain, Joaquin and Liberty. She is married to Casey Affleck. She sometimes sings in her sister Rain’s bandPapercranes. They were also both members of the rock band The Causey Way.

She started as a child actress, having guest roles in Murder She Wrote, Growing Pains and Airwolf. She played the younger sister of Joaquin in the television movie Russkies. She also had roles in several other movies, including Wasted, Dinner Rush, Esther Kane and Suzie Gold. In 2002, she played in the play This is Our Youth with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck at the Garrick Theatre in London.

Together with her friends Odessa Whitmire and Ruby Canner, she opened the vintage clothing boutiques Some Odd Rubies.

Quotes by Summer Phoenix:

“I’ve been vegan all my life for ethical reasons, and I’m saddened that more people aren’t educated in this way of life that my parents taught me. I don’t think anybody eats stuff like burgers and dairy products out of maliciousness but as a result of ignorance and lack of awareness.”

“I think that it’s really unfortunate that the thought of the vegan diet is automatically associated with raw and disgusting food. I just love my scrambled tofu breakfast and there is such a variety of delicious vegan meat substitutes.”

“I don’t like to preach – I really do believe in every man for himself – but if somebody asks me about it then I’ll let ’em have it.”

At age 13 she said:

“I’m a vegan because I don’t believe in hurting animals. First of all, it’s for the animals. Health reasons are just a bonus. I think my contribution really adds up – not killing a turkey for Thanksgiving, not killing a cow every year for a hamburger. I contribute some money to animal rights groups too.”

Mayim Bialik -American Actress

Mayim Bialik born  on December 12, 1975. She is an American actress and has a PhD in neuroscience. She played Blossom Russo on the television show Blossom  and Amy Fowler on The Big Bang Theory. She started her career as a child actress and has appeared in many television shows and movies and has done voice work for cartoons. She is also a celebrity spokesperson for the Holistic Moms Network and the author of the book Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way, released in March, 2012.

Quotes by Mayim Bialik:

“I became vegetarian when I was 19 and as of the New Year 2010 I am totally vegan. Before, I was eating trace amounts of animal products and was very weary to call myself a vegan. I have a lot of true vegan friends and in their circles I was always hesitant to use that term. As you know, there’s a lot of politicization around veganism. However, it’s now my truth. I don’t even wear leather.”

“My husband and I just finished reading the Jonathan Safran Foer book Eating Animals  and that just pushed me over the top. I didn’t eat fish, chicken, meat or dairy for years, but if there was a birthday cake or something, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. But once I read the book, the full portrait of what was going on really moved me more than I even wanted to be moved. I mean it sent me to a whole other level.”

“I show my love for animals by not eating them or participating in any business that profits directly from their exploitation or – if that word irks you – their “use.” You may show your love for animals by eating them. You may love animals, but only “intelligent” ones. You may draw the line anywhere you gosh darn please, but for me, I couldn’t draw it anymore so I just gave up the line. I threw out the line.”

“I recently visited an animal rescue sanctuary… The animals living there have been saved from the most disgusting and vile situations; plunked from garbage heaps half-breathing, beaten and left for dead. At this sanctuary, they have been given a chance to live simply because someone thinks that they deserve to. There are horses wounded and discarded from rodeos, sheep and goats who were used as bait in dog fights, bulls with whip marks and the personalities to go along with them, calves left to die because they were deemed not plump enough for veal, 1000 pound pigs that want belly rubs and tiny speckled chickens and giant turkeys so outrageously patterned that both of my sons were literally shocked at what nature can do.

Well, frankly, I am shocked at what nature can do, too, and I am shocked at what humans can do. Cruelty, inhumanity, disdain, abuse, and denial of rights should not be inflicted on animals or humans, but both occur.

What really shocks me, though, is that there are also people who give their lives because they want to show that animals have feelings, animals are intelligent, and animals have rights and needs: to be loved, to be safe, and to be protected when humanity says ‘I don’t care.'”

Quotes are from her interview with Ecorazzi and from her ‘Why I Am Vegan’ article for ‘People for Green Justice.’