Sophia Bush has never been one to treat advocacy as an accessory. The self-proclaimed “democracy nerd” has stitched activism into the seams of her public life—visible whether she’s on a set in Los Angeles, on the board of the Human Rights Campaign, or hosting her podcast, Work In Progress. Now, as she steps into the role of host for the 20th anniversary of L’Oréal Paris’ Women of Worth gala, Bush is stepping out of the spotlight and casting it on the women who reshape the world long before anyone thinks to hand them a microphone.
“There’s something deeply moving to me about marking twenty years of a program that has uplifted women who don’t wait for permission to change the world, they just get to work,” Bush tells Vanity Fair.
The Women of Worth program has long celebrated exactly those women—who show up for their communities with courage and clarity, with the kind of devotion that rarely fits neatly into headlines. It’s all part of the brand’s larger “Because I’m Worth It” mission, where one’s own beauty isn’t subject to anyone else’s opinion. This year, ten honorees will not only be recognized for their work but also receive $25,000 to support their causes, mentorship from L’Oréal Paris, and a national platform to amplify the change they’re already creating.
“They’re the women who see a need and don’t wait to be crowned an expert before addressing it. They dive in, in the spirit of service. They are curious, relentless, and they do it all while leaving their ego at the door,” Bush says. This year’s honorees—including Yasmine Arrington Brooks, Amy Bowers Cordalis, Mizpah Brown-Rich, Keely Cat-Wells, Sloane Davidson, Lynn B. Hughes, Anita Ravi, Christina Rodriguez, Gloria Umanah, and Olivia Zhang—embody that truth across every corner of activism: gender equality, wellness, education, climate action, and more.
“Move the needle” is the phrase Bush uses for them—women who manage to blend heart and grit, who treat hope not as an abstraction but as a daily discipline. Two honorees, in particular, have stayed with her. “The work Amy Bowers Cordalis is doing in Oregon, centering Indigenous communities and their generational knowledge to help in protecting and restoring Indigenous land, water, and cultural resources, moves me deeply,” Bush says. “And the work of Dr. Anita Ravi at PurpLE Health in New York, too. She’s creating a new field of medicine—gender-based violence care—which is changing the support and treatment for women who have experienced domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault, and is training clinicians worldwide. I’m in awe of them.”
For Bush, her work as an actress and her work in activism are inseparable. “I don’t think of my advocacy and my creative career as separate lanes. To me, they’re braided together,” she says. “Storytelling—whether it’s onscreen, on a stage, or in a classroom—has always been my North Star. It’s the heartbeat of my work. I was raised to believe that if you are blessed to have a platform, you also have a duty. So I try to use mine—in its relative size and scope—in a way that feels grounded in service.”
Of course, “being of service” is an ethos that carries expectations—external ones, but often internal ones, too. And Bush is candid about the pressures that accompany that kind of work. “Balance is something I’m still working on,” she admits. “But I’m finding that it comes from giving myself permission to be human. Some seasons I’m on set for long hours, and in others I’m deep in policy work or traveling with nonprofits. I’ve learned to let my values be my compass, instead of trying to maintain some mythical ‘perfect’ equilibrium. When the work feels meaningful, my personal sense of balance follows.”
Perhaps that’s why hosting this milestone year feels, to Bush, like more than a gig. “Stepping into the role of host this year feels like a privilege and, frankly, a responsibility,” she says. “We’re living in a moment where it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the noise, the polarization, the heartbreak. But Women of Worth is the antidote to that. It’s a reminder that hope isn’t passive—it’s a practice. Hope chooses to get in the arena again and again, and women show us how to build it.”
Livestream the event on December 2nd at 7pm on Vanity Fair Youtube and learn more about the 2025 Women of Worth and their journeys of strength, ambition, and hope here.
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