Good Hollywood....Bad Hollywood Quiz

Answer: Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of Hollywood. As an actor and director Penn is one of the most respected performers, having gathered five Oscar nominations and winning twice, once for best actor in 2004 for "Mystic River" and 2009 for "Milk". Penn has struggled with excessive drinking and anger management for most of his life. An intensely private person who can be violent, Penn has had run-ins with photographers, gossip columnists and over-familiar fans, resulting in a criminal conviction in 1986 where he served time in both state and private prisons.

Penn is also a highly visible political and social activist who has angered many with his outspoken views. Penn was a harsh critic of the Bush Administration and spoke out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Penn has met with and apparently shown support for deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as well as the Castro government in Cuba. At the same time Penn has contributed and raised millions of dollars to support relief efforts for the victims of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans Louisiana and the 2010 Earthquake victims in Haiti. In 2012 the President of Haiti appointed Penn as the first ever non-Haitian ambassador-at-large, honoring the actor for his efforts in improving the lives of his countrymen.

Answer: Robert Downey Jr,

Robert Downey Jr was once a poster child for the excess of young Hollywood. A star by age twenty Downey Jr seemed to have nowhere to go but up. In 1987 he played Julian the drug addicted tormented teenager in "Less Than Zero" and unfortunately art imitated life. Downey Jr. moved on to larger roles and bigger budgets and in 1993 was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in "Chaplin". From there Downey Jr. spiraled into a morass of drug addiction, arrest, rehab and bad decisions. By 2000 Downey Jr. had run out of chances and was sentenced to three years in a California prison. Downey's career seemed over, for even when he was out of prison movie studios could not hire him as insurance companies refused to bond the actor based on his previous unreliability.

Slowly Downey Jr. found a way to beat back his drug addiction and he regained his career. Success in smaller movies like the entertaining "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" in 2004 led to his complete rehabilitation when he became the titular lead in 2000s "Iron Man". Another Oscar nomination for his remarkable performance in 2000's "Topic Thunder", mega-success with the "Ironman" sequels, "The Avengers" and his turn as Sherlock Holmes, and Downey Jr.'s comeback was complete.

In addition to making himself a role model for other reformed drug and alcohol addicts, Downey Jr. has used his riches to rags to riches life experience to support numerous charities, including the Midnight Mission, a long serving organization that uses whole life therapy to lift up people who have hit rock bottom alone. Downey Jr. is an avid supporter of the Robin Hood Foundation, which supports large scale poverty reduction programs, and is a spokesperson for the March of Dimes.

Answer: Angelina Jolie

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees helps protect and support economic and political refugees by coordinating voluntary repatriation, integration and resettlement. Angelina Jolie began actively supporting the UNHCR in 2001 as a Goodwill Ambassador taking trips to places such as Cambodia and war ravaged Africa. After 10 years as a Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie was promoted in 2012 to Special Envoy to the High Commissioner. In this role she represents the UNHCR as a diplomat working with governments to find long-term solutions for displaced persons across the globe.

At the same time Jolie has had her share of tabloid headlines. Rumored to be extremely close to her brother, James Haven, she has had to confront incest allegations. Jolie married her first husband, Jonny Lee Miller, in 1986, but despite writing his name in blood on her wedding dress the couple separated mere months later. Famously Jolie donned numerous tattoos including one of her next husband Billy Bob Thornton. That marriage ended in two years. Jolie eventually began a torrid affair with then married actor Brad Pitt. While unmarried Jolie and Pitt raise three adopted children (Maddux from Mali, Zahara from Ethopia and Pax from Cambodia) and their three natural born children.

Answer: Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez in Dayton Ohio to Irish/Mexican immigrant parents. Sheen anglicized his name and began acting during his teens. Sheen first came to fame playing Robert Kennedy to William Devane's JFK in the Emmy winning television 1974 broadcast "The Missiles of October". Sheen's star reached a zenith when he was cast as the lead for Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War epic "Apocalypse Now". Sheen's performance as the alcoholic and violent military assassin hit very close to home, as during the filming of the movie Sheen was frequently drunk and even suffered a heart attack during production. Conquering his demons, Sheen went on to great success in both film and television. In 1999 Sheen took a small role as the fictitious President Josiah Bartlett in "The West Wing" and parlayed that into an iconic character, earning six US Emmy award nominations.

Sheen has never kept his passion for politics and activism solely on screen. A tireless activist, Sheen has led protests against nuclear proliferation, farm worker treatment, environmental and ethical animal causes; sparing neither his risk of arrest or care for the impact on his career. Sheen himself boasts that he has been arrested over seventy times.

Answer: Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg is the youngest brother of former New Kids on the Block star and actor Donnie Wahlberg. The Wahlbergs grew up in the urban working class Boston neighborhood of Dorchester. During his teens Mark was a gang member and street thug who was arrested numerous times for drug, theft, assault and vandalism crimes. In 1987 Wahlberg was convicted of assault on a Vietnamese man and was sentenced as an adult to two years prison. With the help of his older brother, Mark gave up crime and started a band called Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch releasing a top single in 1991, "Good Vibrations". Modeling and commercial jobs followed the initial music success. Mark moved from music and took up acting in the mid-1990s. The 1997 film "Boogie Nights" catapulted Wahlberg's career as he played Dirk Diggler, a 1970s fictional adult film star, to critical and box office acclaim. Wahlberg earned a 2006 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Departed". He is a sought after actor and as a producer has helped guide such shows as HBO's "Entourage" and "Boardwalk Empire" to tremendous success.

As a reformed street gang member Wahlberg has used his personal success to help other street kids. Wahlberg created and funds the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. The charity provides money for inner city youth programs. Wahlberg is also a frequent contributor and spokesperson for The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. Wahlberg credits the support of his local parish priest for his personal redemption and is a devoted Catholic and supporter of Catholic charities.

Answer: Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato, like many of the Hollywood stars on this list, started her career at a very young age; then found that early success was a double-edged sword. Lovato appeared in the television series "Barney & Friends" and later was a star for Disney in television movies and music. In 2008, at the age of 16, Lovato was cast as the lead in Disney's television show "Sonny With A Chance" and the Disney movie "Camp Rock". Lovato provided four songs on the "Camp Rock" soundtrack and released her first solo music album before her 17th birthday.

Despite her success Lovato led a troubled life. Demi was forced to be home-schooled because she was the victim of constant bullying. By 2009 Lovato's demons caught up to her as she checked herself into a medical clinic after a violent altercation with a back-up dancer. Lovato suffered from frequent self-mutilation, bulimia and drug dependency and was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. After being released from care Lovato continued to work on her sobriety and mental health and scaled back her music and acting commitments.

Lovato did not scale back her philanthropy and commitment to helping others. In 2009 Lovato was named an Honorary Ambassador by the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders (stomach and colon diseases). She has supported and contributed to the Disney Conservation Fund. Lovato is a guest editor for "Seventeen" magazine, using her life experiences to advise young girls on eating disorders and image issues. Lovato is an Ambassador for Mean Stinks, an anti-bullying campaign, as well as the anti-bullying group PACER.

Answer: Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell was born in Dublin Ireland and is the son of a well known Irish football player. Rather than playing football, Farrell became an actor and starred in such films as "Tigerland" and "Minority Report". By 2003 Farrell was a lead actor co-starring in big budget movies such as "Daredevil" "Phonebooth" and "SWAT". During this time Farrell was equally well known for hard drinking, drugs, wild parties and engaging in a string of romances with numerous Hollywood stars and international models. In 2005 Farrell's drug use became a serious threat to his career and he went into rehab.

Sober and more mature Farrell's career continued to gain momentum. Farrell starred in "In Bruges" and "Ondine" and earned some of the best reviews of his career. In addition to career stability, Farrell has channeled his past history of excess into his charity work. Farrell is a former ambassador to the Special Olympics and has a long term association with the Irish child anti-bullying charity BeLongTo.

Answer: Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is an iconic television talk show host, movie star, producer, Mackenzie publisher and network executive. She has parlayed her illustrious career into great personal wealth and is considered to be one of, if not the wealthiest African-American women in the world. However if possible, Winfrey is even more known for her generosity and philanthropy. Winfrey is the first African-American woman to make the list of top 50 American philanthropists and has given various charities in excess of 500 million dollars. Winfrey has supported college scholarships, the Smithsonian Institute and victims of natural disasters across the US and the world. Her Oprah's Angel Network charity has raised in excess of 80 million dollars and boasts that all donations go to the causes supported by the charity. Winfrey has taken a special interest in supporting charities set up to educate young girls and is well-know for building and finding such a school in South Africa.

None of this makes Oprah a likely candidate for membership in the bad girls of Hollywood club. But today's legacy of glittering success almost never came to be because of her early years. Winfrey was born to a teenaged, single mother and passed amongst relatives. During her pre-teen years Winfrey confessed to being the victim of repeated sexual abuse at the hands of cousins and her uncles. By 13 she was a runaway and by 14 was pregnant. She give birth to a son but the child died soon thereafter. Winfrey seemed headed to a life wasted from neglect and abuse. However in a last desperate act her family sent Oprah to live with Vernon Winfrey, a man believed to be her biological father. Given structure and safety Oprah thrived, earning herself a college scholarship and eventually a career in broadcasting that launched today's legend.

Answer: Machete

There are actors playing at being bad boys and then there are bad men who turn their life around by acting. Danny Trejo is one of the baddest of men who now serves as an example of the best Hollywood can offer. Trejo grew up in Los Angeles, California where he joined a street gang at a young age. For most of his teens and twenties Trejo was in and out of prison for drug, theft and murder charges. Trejo served time in San Quentin where the most dangerous of California's inmates are housed. However with everything primed for Trejo to become a lifer, he started to change. While in San Quentin he became a champion boxer and kicked his drug habit, earning parole and a last chance.

Trejo left prison and became a drug and gang counselor, trying to help others to break the cycle of violence. At the age of 40 Trejo was approached by a former prison colleague to work for a day as a boxer on the movie "Runaway Train". The director of the movie liked Trejo and wrote him into a larger role in the movie. Trejo has never been without work since. He has appeared in over 180 movies and television shows, often playing the gang member or criminal. His film roles include "Spy Kids", "Heat" and "Machete".

Trejo is an avid supporter of such diverse charities as Pit Bulls for Parolees and Canine Compassion and he has spent 30 years as a drug counselor and mentor. Trejo is the embodiment of the good that can come from Hollywood. Perhaps the best appreciation of this is the way Trejo describes his first meeting with a casting director, "It was the funniest thing I'd ever heard. I'd been in Soledad, San Quentin, Folsom, Vacaville, Susanville, Sierra - and here's a guy asking "Can you act like a convict?" I remember I said "I'll give it a shot".

Answer: Tim Allen

Yes it is true that comedian, television and movie star Tim Allen spent over two years in a federal prison for drug distribution charges. Allen was arrested in 1978 in Kalamazoo Michigan with over 1.5 lbs. of cocaine in his possession. Allen could have been sent to prison for as much as seven years but cooperated with authorities and was given a shorter sentence. Allen served time at Sandstone Federal Correctional Institution and was known there as inmate 04276-040. When Allen was released and began in earnest to pursue his comedy and acting career, gaining a large following as a stand up in clubs and later television in the 1980s. His big break came in 1991 when he starred in the hugely success American television show "Home Improvement". The show was loosely based on Allen's stand up persona. Movies such as 1994's "The Santa Clause" and 1995's "Toy Story" cemented Allen's role as a top star.

Allen has had some problems maintaining his sobriety but has used his second chance to build a career and give back to his community. Allen is a long-time supporter of Habitat for Humanity, The Red Cross and Toys for Tots in addition to being a large contributor to Michigan based environmental and family support organizations.