Spotted: Celebrities turn out for DNC

Story highlights

Despite bad weather, stars shining at Charlotte convention

James Taylor, Mary J. Blige, and the Foo Fighters among those gracing the main stage

Members of Hollywood royalty come out to support Obama/Biden ticket

Charlotte CNN  — 

What do Harry Reid and Wil.I.Am have in common? Well, like Common (the rapper), they and dozens of other big-name celebrities are in Charlotte this week for the Democratic National Convention.

Even though President Barack Obama’s big acceptance speech was moved indoors due to weather concerns, Thursday night is expected to be the big night for stars to shine.

Singer/songwriter James Taylor and recording artists Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige and The Foo Fighters graced the main stage of the convention. And CNN’s Shannon Travis was the first to report that Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Kerry Washington, all Hollywood royalty, have been secretly scheduled to speak the same night that President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will accept their party’s respective nominations.

R&B band Earth, Wind and Fire was also scheduled to perform, but canceled after the change of the convention location to a smaller venue.

Actor Khalil Kain was spotted walking Uptown’s crowded streets during the convention’s kickoff event on Labor Day. Across from a vendor selling pro-Obama t-shirts and buttons, Kain told CNN that Obama is “the hardest working president I’ve ever seen.”

Actress and activist Rosario Dawson joined CNN at the CNN Grill Monday and Tuesday night. She’s making her away around the DNC on a mission to get more Latinos to vote in November. After leaving a VotoLatino policy forum, Dawson joined an immigration reform protest where undocumented immigrants were arrested, The Charlotte Observer reports.

CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux talked with CSI New York’s Hill Harper about his personal relationship with Obama. Harper went to Harvard Law School with Obama and has known him for over 20 years. “I’ve been impressed with the type of man he is, what he stands for.”

Longtime Obama supporter and actor Kal Penn addressed the DNC in a comedic speech in which he created his own hashtag (#sexyface), and discussed his love for the president in a style mocking Clint Eastwood. “Thank you, invisible man in the chair, for that. And for giving my friends access to affordable health insurance and doubling funding for the Pell Grant.”

Kal Penn brings #sexyface to the DNC

Actors spotted on the convention floor this week:

– John Leguizamo. “Obama creates the egalitarian equal opportunity America that I love to be apart of and it made me who I am today.”

– Alfre Woodard. “This president has been more active and accomplished more than any other president in this country.”

– Tim Daley. “I think the fact that he’s achieved what he has, which I don’t want to underestimate because it is significant, is miraculous considering the opposition.”

Gabby Douglas, Olympic gold medalist , who led the DNC in the Pledge of Allegiance Wednesday.

The “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria sat down with Piers Morgan and discussed her role as an Obama surrogate. “I’ve been speaking to two big communities important to the president – the women’s community and the Latino community – and so I will be speaking about those issues, a little narrative about my American Dream and how I’m living proof of that.”

Longoria hosted a party Wednesday night with a performance by Flo Rida.

Spotted at the CNN Grill in Charlotte

Other celebrities spotted around the DNC:

– Jeff Bridges

– Anthony Hamilton

– Ashley Judd

– John Legend

– Janelle Monae

– Perez Hilton

– Adrian Grenier

– Amber Riley

– Lynn Whitfield