Ashley Judd has long been known for her varied film career, with movies like “Double Jeopardy,” “De-Lovely” and “Where the Heart Is.” But now, the Harvard grad and Golden-Globe nominated actress is taking on another role: activist. On Monday, April 11 she made an appearance at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue to discuss her new book “All That is Bitter and Sweet,” and to talk about her humanitarian work.
Her book is a memoir discussing her shift away from the Hollywood spotlight and towards the slums and brothels of Southeast Asia. She shares her own personal stories and retells the stories of the many people she met during her travels. A previous victim of abuse, Judd shared how her dedication to disempowered women helped her cope with her internal struggles.
For almost ten years Judd traveled as a global ambassador for PSI/Youth AIDS, and visited villages in four continents advocating for those with no access to health care.
Judd, who considers herself a religious person, started the discussion with a prayer. She also humorously mentioned that her god is a “she,” which she humorously encouraged everyone else to think as well. According to Judd, the topic of the book is the interdependence of all living things, and the “fierce urgency of now” for those who are able to provide any assistance to more vulnerable global citizens.
The title of her book “All That is Bitter and Sweet” represents Judd’s need to accept the conditions the majority of the world must experience every single day. She explained that life is pain and happiness. She also spoke about the mental breakdowns she experienced occasionally on one of her trips, and her need to accept the fact that “there is a god, and I am not Him.”
Judd explained that it was easy to give up the glamorous lifestyle that comes with being one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, because ultimately it meant nothing compared to the rewards she earned from her humanitarian work. Judd said she would be betraying the hundreds of people she met through her journey by not sharing their stories with the world.
Judd claimed that she found herself in 2006, and that the people she met had a direct impact on her life. However, she plans to continue her work instead of returning to her Hollywood life because she “[doesn’t] want to burn out…the work is important.”
She advised other activists to find what really drives them and follow it. Her final words of wisdom were that the most effective journey we can take is the “18-inch journey from the head to the heart.”
thescene@theeagleonline.com
