10 Actors Who Made Real-Life Changes AFTER Movie Roles
2. Brie Larson Becomes Sexual Assault Survivors Activist After Room
It's fair to say that most people were left absolutely rocked by Brie Larson's performance as Joy "Ma" Newsome in 2015's Room.
The story of a woman being abducted, raped, raising the child of the person holding her captive, and then finally escaping his clutches before slowly adjusting to life in the real world is a heart-breaking one, but a story Larson felt she needed to be fully prepared for in order to do it justice.
After thoroughly researching those who had suffered sexual abuse in real-life, along with what effects this can have on a person, Larson's stirring performance as Joy helped propel her into becoming a powerful voice for those who had experienced something similar to her character. Her compassion for those who had experienced similar things to Joy was seen on the night of her Academy Award win for Best Actress, with Larson hugging each and every one of the 50 sexual assault survivors who appeared on-stage during the performance of Lady Gaga's song from The Hunting Ground, which was a documentary that looked at campus sexual assault.
Larson also collaborated with 300 other women in 2018 to create the Time's Up initiative, designed to protect women from harassment and discrimination.