19 Celebs Who Are Just Universally BelovedSkip To ContentHomepageSign InSearch BuzzFeedSearch BuzzFeedlol Badge Feedwin Badge Feedtrending Badge FeedCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAccessibility StatementAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapPosted on Jan 2, 2022 People Are Sharing The Famous People Who Actually Deserve Their Fame And There Were No Wrong Answers Shaq and Julie Andrews, please adopt me. by Hannah MarderBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestTwitterMailLink Reddit user u bpm918 asked Who do you think is the most universally liked person in the world and people came through with the most beloved public figures Here are some of the names that people agreed on the most 1 David Attenborough Rob Pinney / Getty Images Suggested by: u/bpm918 "My vote goes to this man. Attenborough is the closest a human has gotten to being a hero for me. And I'm not talking about the climate change activism only. His body of work for decades is the greatest love letter to the natural world we have ever produced. There is no voice that is more soothing to me." —u/Syk13 2 Dolly Parton Jason Kempin / Getty Images Suggested by: u/AssignmentOpen6112 "I have never heard anything close to a negative word about Dolly. Came from nothing...100% self-made...never promotes herself...self-deprecating. Only brings good to the world. Love that woman." —u/Marlowebabe "How can you not like her? She has big international appeal too. Nelson Mandela played 'Jolene' over his prison’s loudspeakers because it sustained hope that his movement’s cries for freedom would be heard. Wow." —u/r33c3d 3 Bob Ross Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF PBS Suggested by: u/rmicheler "I love Bob Ross so much. In my bad days, I cry at his kind voice and beautiful paintings; he’s so calming and reassuring. I become a happy little tree every time I hear him." —u/be-kind-to-peoplee "I'm from Eastern Europe and I love this guy. I'm really bad at drawing, and it was never my passion (maybe at some point when I was a kid, but it doesn't really matter). My point is, even though I'm not an artsy person, I just love listening to his voice. It calms me." —u/rellanson 4 Fred Rogers Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF PBS Suggested by: u/rmicheler "I lost my mother to cancer in 1983, when I was 5. Somehow I didn't grieve the way you would think a 5-year-old would. I didn't cry a lot, didn't act out, didn't fight with my brothers or my dad. A few months after that, my grandma took me to see a taping of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. There were maybe 10 other kids there. After the taping, Mr. Rogers sat on a set of steps on the set, and each child went up to talk with him one-on-one. When it was my turn, I went up. He greeted me by name and told me how happy he was to meet me. He said he understood that someone very close to me had died. I started crying. Mr. Rogers gave me a hug and told me, 'Sometimes we lose people who are very important to us. It's very sad when it happens, and it's okay to be sad. It's okay to cry.' He then asked me if I could tell him a story about my mother, which I did. He told me, 'That was a very nice story. Thank you for telling me about her.' He gave me another hug and sent me off. I absolutely cannot think of a moment that had more impact on my life than that."—u/cinch123 5 Betty White Amanda Edwards / WireImage via Getty Images Suggested by: u/escaped_prisoner White was one of the most nominated celebs, though people didn't really say why — so I'll step in! Starring in beloved shows, radio programs, and films since the 1930s likely has something to do with it, along with her comedic and personable personality as showcased in interviews. She has never been involved in a scandal, and the only person in the world who seemed to have disliked her — Golden Girls costar Bea Arthur — only disliked her because she felt White was too positive. A 2011 poll indicated that White was the most trusted celebrity in America. 6 Julie Andrews Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images Suggested by: u/madam_whiplash Andrews was another celeb who was nominated a ton — I'd say she is beloved because of her large role in many childhoods after starring in films like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, and later on The Princess Diaries. She also wrote the children's book The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles and is continually delightful in interviews. 7 Robin Williams Vera Anderson / WireImage via Getty Images Suggested by: u/roseetheOG69 Similarly to Julie Andrews, Williams is beloved for his performance in children's films such as Aladdin, Hook, and Mrs. Doubtfire, but also for his repeated role as an inspiring mentor in films such as Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society. An accomplished comedic genius who was well known for his acts of kindness on set, Williams has been greatly missed since his death in 2014. 8 Rowan Atkinson Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images "I bet Mr. Bean plays well all over the world. Hundreds of millions of people could love that dude and never even hear him say a peep. Eliminates a lot of potential controversy." —u/destro23 "Probably 15 years ago, I found myself on a Pakistan International Airlines flight. They put Mr. Bean on a loop on the in-flight TV for three hours, and nobody did anything but laugh at him the whole flight. He's right up there with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Perfect physical comedy that transcends culture." —u/NerimaJoe 9 Steve Irwin Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Suggested by: u/ManyGeeseAtOnce "The guy was clearly a real-life teddy bear who loved his family and everything he did. I’m envious of never being able to love anything as much as he loved his life. He cared more about animal conservation than I care about doing the bare minimum to live every day. The guy is just wildly inspiring." —u/VZ81 10 Keanu Reeves Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF BuzzFeed Suggested by: RagingBullet97 "Celebrities love working with him, he does a lot of his own stunts and is an extremely disciplined martial artist and actor, regular people love him, and he's extremely kind and charitable. He's like the quiet, weird, nice-kid-in-school version of a Hollywood actor." —u/SugarDonger "I know a few people who've worked with him, and they say the persona the internet has constructed is spot-on. He really is that nice" —u/Tank_Girl_Gritty_235 11 Weird Al Yankovic Kevin Winter / Getty Images Suggested by: u/BewareNixonsGhost "He's incredibly friendly, has had no controversies (for 40 years as a Hollywood musician, might I add), is really talented at the accordion and singing, respects the artists who don't want him to parody their music, and has made people happy for decades." —u/Sso_12 12 Danny DeVito Phillip Faraone / Getty Images Suggested by: u/MyJeanShorts "Danny DeVito is a beautiful human being. When the girl who played Matilda had her mom go through cancer treatments and she couldn't take care of her, Danny DeVito and his wife took her into their home and cared for her." —u/khayriyah_a 13 Tom Hanks Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF TNT / TBS Suggested by: u/Modjitune "I’ve lived in two foreign countries, where people would complain about American movies and all things American ad nauseam, until Hanks showed up. 'Ooh, Tom Hanks,' the universal remark." —u/redvinebitty "Everyone loves that guy. He's America's dad." —u/scottchiefbaker 14 Shaquille O Neal Derek White / Getty Images for Pepsi Stronger Together Suggested by: u/dajadf Largely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time, Shaq is also well known for his charity work. He's been a major role model for kids and adults everywhere and has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. He's also loved for his personality and quick wit and, of course, the memes. 15 Dwayne The Rock Johnson Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF NBC Suggested by: u/Nickzino "Even for people who don't like his movies or acting in particular, I'd say they're generally aware of all the charity he does and the stuff he gives away to deserving people, and he has been completely scandal-free, as far as I know. Beyond that, he is always smiling and speaks in a way that people enjoy listening to, both his voice and his manner of communicating. Highly likable guy." —u/Tendies-Emporium 16 Mr Beast MrBeast / Via youtube.com "Mr. Beast from YouTube has one of the kindest hearts out there. He had an option to keep and hoard his money, but instead, he gives it out for free. There is one time he opened a bank and gave out free money. He does wild amounts of charity. If people as rich as he is collectively did what he does, the world would be a much better place. His human resource pool is massive and he is well liked. I mean, who goes and buys 40 cars and gives them out for free?" —u/babybopp 17 Stan Lee Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Suggested by: u/chai_tea8 Lee is beloved for his work for Marvel as a comic writer and producer — he co-created basically the entire MCU, from Spider-Man to Iron Man to Black Widow. He's won a number of awards for his work, and most people know him from his frequent cameos in Marvel films — to a lot of people, he represents their childhood. 18 Chadwick Boseman Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images for MTV "I think he garnered worldwide attention as a superhero. Whatever country you came from, Black Panther was able to reach millions of viewers." —u/asuna_kagurazaka Boseman was an Oscar-nominated actor likely best known for his role in Black Panther, a groundbreaking Marvel film that celebrated the Black community. He has become a symbol to many of Black empowerment and is remembered for his kindness and authenticity. He also donated money to and worked with charities. 19 And Finally George Takei Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / Getty Images "We don't deserve his compassion; he's a damn gem." —u/DahliasDear Initially beloved for his role in the Star Trek films and show, Takei has remained in the spotlight for his activism (for immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and human rights in general). He's won numerous awards and has many wholesome fan interactions, as well as a great social media presence. What other celebs and famous people did we miss Let us know in the comments below Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Share This ArticleFacebook PinterestTwitterMailLink BuzzFeed DailyKeep up with the latest daily buzz with the BuzzFeed Daily newsletter!This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.