>> an important causes they like to support. >> it's important to let people know that they're not alone. >> these actors are on the front lines of some big battles against domestic violence, disease and poverty. >> you can start from such a small idea and make large changes. >> and whether it comes from a genuine desire to make the world a better place or from a personal experience, these three stars are using their super

powers for good, both on screen and off. >> tonight meet three individuals who are doing truly great things to give back. first up, sir patrick stuart. >> he is a leading man and an on screen super hero. he is a film, tv, and stage legend whose acting career has fanned decades. he's one of the world's most respected actors. and also a spokesperson for domestic violence. >> when my father came home from the war in 1945, my life changed. i'd been living for five years with my mother and brother in tranquility. we didn't have much, but we had peace and quiet. my father came home and things changed. he was a restless man, mood swings. jobs were difficult for him to get. he became a weekend alcoholic.

>> his family experienced shame and isolation because of his father's abusive behavior. >> i was embarrassed and ashamed. the best solution was put your body between theirs. between my mother and my father. it usually worked, just stand there. witnessing the fights, the anger, and then the raised fists and then the violence, and police called and doctors wants an balance to take my mother away. in my house, i would here policemen say to my mother who was laying on the floor or somewhere, well, mrs. stuart, it takes two to make an argument, or you must have done something to anger him. none of those things happened. my brother and i often proposed to my mother that she could leave, but she wouldn't. she loved my father. years and decades went by.

at some point in an interview, i finally talked about my childhood. >> patrick was contacted by refuge, the uk's largest prid r prider -- provider of domestic violence services. they now serve close to 3,000 women and children each day, giving them refuge and helping them to rebuild their lives. >> refuge is an organization which has existed in the uk probably almost 40 years now. and this was a place where women and often their children who were at risk of serious domestic violence could take refuge. having grown up in a violent home, i had an instinctive feeling to help this organization. it's now nationwide.

and it provides countless safe houses for women and children. >> as a weigh to honor his mother, patrick has offered his time, money and support to refuge for years. he also urges those in abusive situations to get help. >> when you're in a situation, the confusion and pain of it can muddle your thinking. and you don't see that there might be avenueavenues, ways ou it. there are places to go and people to talk to. there are hot lines and you can pick up a phone and say i need help. when i was a child, i felt alone. there was no one i could go to. that was difficult and it was like a secret that i held on through my 20s and 30s. it was my secret. i had this in my past. so it's important to let people know that they're not alone, they needn't be alone. i went public about this and used myself as an example partly

to say you can get over this. there is a life beyond this, and there are people who can help you. as pat lirick opened up about h past, he learned more about his family. through a program, he learned that his father who had been a decorated war hero in world war ii suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. >> i learned the most powerful thing which was that my father had suffered from severe, what they called then, shell shock and was brought back to england in 1940. in an aerial attack, a nearby bomb explosion -- i was given this information on camera. it was a very emotional moment for me. we now know what shell shock is, it's called post-traumatic stress disorder. there was no treatment for it back in the 40s. you were told to pull yourself together and act like a man. nobody had any understanding of

the profound effects of ptsd, and the lasting trauma it could cause. after years of representing refuge, and talking about my childhood in which my father always came off as the villain, i could now put what happened into a different context. i became a patron of combat stress, people solely dedicated to helping veterans with post-traumatic stress. it's simple for me. i can say i support refuge for my mother, because i couldn't help her when i was a child, but i can also help the memory of my father by working for combat stress. >> space, the final frontier. >> it was never part of my game plan when i was a young actor or even a middle-aged actor. one morning i suddenly found myself cast as the captain of the enterprise. >> to boldly go where no one has

gone before. >> i knew it was a possibility. i never thought it would happen. what an unlikely thing. a bald, middle aged english spea shakes spear yan actor. and after all those episodes and four feature films, i then fell into another franchise called x men. there are similarities between the two characters that i play. they're both decent men, to begin with. they are sense thetiitive, compassionate, they're warriors in the best sense of being a warrior. although, i am neither of those two men, i found i could market my on screen reputation for being all these splendid things into services like refuge and combat stress. >> patrick says supporting

groups like combat stress and refuge is one of the most important things he did. although he did not set out for it, he says he's glad his good fortune and voice can be used to help others. >> people don't know about the work that these people do. the world is full of ordinary, everyday people, who are quietly, privately, doing great things. and i always think it's wonderful when these things are acknowledged. >> every year we honor everyday people who are making a big difference in the world. tune into cnn heros an all-star series. you can check out the incredible work that everyday people are doing. >> next, a grass roots project that moved this girl. hear from elizabeth olson when we come back. >> when you hear about the independent smaller nonprofits,

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( ♪ ) welcome back. elizabeth olsen is a captivating leading lady. on screen this critically acclaimed actress uses her superpowers for good but behind the scenes he is teaming up with real life heroes. >> i grew up in los angeles and went to school at campbell hall. being mindful and socially conscious and aware were things that were cool. i joined amnesty international

at my school and that was when i started to, like, realize my own political voice and my own understanding of the imbalance in the world even though i wasn't able to vote, i was very adamant about getting signatures and signing things and doing marches and protests. >> elizabeth comes from a family of hollywood all-star and says that giving back was instilled early on. as her career soared in the summer block buster godzilla. this year she joined the avengers franchise. during the making of the movie, she took a trip to nicaragua. it changed her forever. >> i was living in brooklyn at the time and the yoga place i went to was going to have a yoga retreat. and it was -- it was during a break of filming avengers. it was cancelled but i didn't

cancel the trip. i'm going to nicaragua. i got the ticket. i'm going to go. >> she traveled alone to a rural village and met two young girls from canada. >> alana and jen are two young women from canada who started a non-profit called the latitude project. they build schoolhouses and libraries. they focus a lot on literacy. they work with communities that need better irrigation systems or just filtration and water at schools, better outhouses for the kids. we went to one school where we refurbished all the desks and handed out very basic things to the kids there. we handed out books and crayons and pens and erasers. and soccer balls. also the parents come and help so it becomes this community

thing and the kids help out. >> the co founders at the latitude project are world travellers and adventure seekers who take time off from their full-time jobs to help communities in latin america. >> they had to check on an irrigation system to make sure that the kids could wash their hands going in and out of school. i went with them. it was incredible for me to see how respected they were. they don't put up the system. they teach the community how to do it. and all the parents help out. and it becomes something that they have, like, great pride in and are thankful for. >> the latitude project focuses on education, health care and clean water initiatives. elizabeth spent a week with them teaching and helping poverty stricken areas in nicaragua.

>> it's a very mind boggling thing when you are on set and the thought you're having for weeks at a time is this is the scene where you help save lots of people and the world, literally. like what does that mean to you? what that like? and it's a weird position to put yourself in and all these other actors have been doing these movies so many years now they know what it's like and this is like nuts. i'm saving a screaming woman and i'm pretending i can help her. it felt empowering to play a character that is not only broken and is this emotional psychological mess but someone who has a lot of confidence and the ability to create change.

>> the movie was one of the top grossing films worldwide of all time. and since then, elizabeth has stayed close to the founders of the latitude project. >> when you hear about the more, like, independent smaller non-profits i think they need to have someone talking about them. especially care about the latitude project. these girls started this five years ago. at that time it was off their own paycheck. they put their own money into it. what they've done in the short amount of time already is so incredible. they are just two very inspiring young women who are perfect example of how you can start from such a small idea and make large changes. >> so whether it's supporting a cause that serves others or helping out behind the scenes, elizabeth wants to encourage other young people to do what they can to give back. >> it's not about feeling guilty for the things you have, it's

about trying to support and changes the things that you can. >> elizabeth was inspired by two everyday people giving back. we hope you will be inspired by cnn heroes going work all over the world. tune in to cnn heroes an all-star tribute on december 6th. next up, michael b. jordan's heroics on screen not surprising given his struggles off screen. >> my mom is my heart. she's everything. to do great things, sometimes you gotta break the rules. surface pro 4. a new screen for new perspectives. a new pen for new masterpieces.

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is that coffee? yea, it's nespresso. i want in. ♪ you're ready. ♪ get ready to experience a cup above. is that coffee? nespresso. what else? he has been a leading than on the big screen and on the small screen. michael b. jordan is 23 years

old. he has starred in the wire, friday night lights and chronicle and the fantastic 4. his star is definitely on the rise. but outside of the spotlight, michael's life has been shaped by a serious family struggle. >> my mom was diagnosed with lupus 20 years ago. as a kid you can't process that. you don't understand what lupus is or how it affects her. >> lupus can be painful and extremely hard to detect. it was excruciating for michael to see his mom struggle. >> we have a strong connection. even though she is sick she has a smile on her face. she has extreme highs and extreme lows with lupus. one day she is all right and fine and the next she feels like she has the flu. there is not that much

information on it and no one has real answers. that is the hard part to sit back and watch. all you have to offer is your words or a hug or a feeling. and to me, that not enough. >> as a child, michael spent hours in waiting rooms and doctors offices while she searched for a cure. that cure never came. but a chance meeting changed everything. >> one day my mom wept to a doctor's appointment and i'm waiting for her to come out and the woman said you should get into modeling. without my mother, i probably won't be acting or in this industry. >> after roles as child actor, michael's career began to soar in his late teens and early 20s. as he grew more famous he never forgot about the sacrifices his family made to help him succeed. >> acting is so fickle and such a lottery. i understand how lucky a position i'm in. if you have a platform to do or

say something in a certain way you owe it to yourself and the world to add to, not always take. i think that's really important. for me it's about finding the opportunity and getting to a place to do something that matters. >> when michael heard about lupus l.a. that is helping people like his mom he jumped on board. >> i thought about my mom and how i could use this situation that i'm in to raise money, whatever i could give my time whenever i can just to do something more than just being an encouraging person to my mom. the only thing that made sense was to team up with a foundation that were progressive thinking of different ways to treat it and actively looking for cures. >> the group is not only looking for a cure but helping those who need help the most. >> they are strategic about what they do. and how to help families get help. you know, try to educate these

patients as much as they can in the families to really understand what lupus is and how to fight it smartly. if you don't have the funds for it, they will help you get the medication, to get the treatment, to see the doctors. i think the biggest way that lupus l.a. helps is they provide grants and money for families who can't afford the medication. it's as simple as it may sound, i just want to raise as much money as i can to put toward research. >> michael decided to tell his mom's story to help the group raise money and bring attention to others a that live with lupus. recently he was honored for his work by lupus l.a. >> it was hard to stand up there and talk about my mom. it's hard whenever i'm talking about my mom in this capacity. i get very emotional when i talk about it. my mom is my heart. i tried to be as thoughtful as i could and speak from the heart.

like i said, i felt like she should be honored, not myself. when you get older you realize life for what it is and you want the best outcome for the people -- >> at the event, michael's entire family came together to honor his mom and support the group that is trying to find a cure for lupus. >> at the orange bowl it was the first time i had a chance to speak about my mom and talk about her at that level in front of a lot of people and stuff like that and basically tell her that, you know, i'm proud of her and how incredibly strong she is and my family was there. it was surreal to see everybody at one table. it was a very, very special night for me and for my mom. >> as michael prepares to play apollo creed's son in "creed" he

still takes time to reach out to those who may have a loved one struggling with lupus. >> you have to keep an eye on them. they want to be as normal as possible especially when there are not answers for the questions. just be there and give time. be present. >> michael says it is his mom's strength and determination that inspires him. and while he may be an all-powerful superhero on screen, the real heroes he learned from are close to home. >> for me and my family witnessing my mom be so strong it inspired us to be strong. at the end of the day, who do you have that is going to have your back? that's your family. my parents endured so much in their lifetime to give us a better shot at life. they're my superheroes. >> join us on december 6th for the cnn heroes all-star tribute. we will honor everyday heroes

who are changing lives across the world. thanks for joining us. good night. they are young, hip, and famous. gracing magazine covers, walking red carpets and starring in some of the most popular film and tv shows around. but behind the scene these three famous rising stars have heroes of their own. >> she impacted my life. >> and important causes they like to support. >> when they call me up to host i'm there. >> i think it's about finding what it is you're passionate about. tonight we introduce you to three young stars using their fame for good both on screen and off. >> right here. >> shane mitchell is a model, and social media sensation. one of hollywood's hottest you