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Judd Is a Hollywood Hero

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Ashley Judd became USA TODAY's fourth annual Hollywood Hero tonight at a star-studded party in Beverly Hills. It's an award we give to recognize an exceptional entertainment industry humanitarian. In Ashley's case, editor John Hillkirk presented it to Judd, 41, tonight for her tireless work as a Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS, the education and prevention program of PSI (Population Services International).
She chatted with USA TODAY's Ann Oldenburg for a few minutes before the night got started in a quiet room at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel, her husband Dario Franchitti close by. So how does it feel to be called a hero? "It's OK," she said with a big grin, quickly adding, "I'm just the front woman. I was just lucky that this wonderful organization was put in my lap and I had the opportunity to be involved with them."
At first she was nervous about having the spotlight on her, but "now I'm excited to have on a short dress instead of sweat pants." That's her usual uniform at Harvard, where she's getting her master's degree in public policy. "The fun part for me is being around earnest people. When I first started in the summer term I thought, 'My people! Earnest - and unabashedly so.'"
Judd, who has admitted to being a perfectionist in the past, says, "I'm trying to convince myself to get over the dream of straight As. Nobody cares. But I still have that undergraduate aggressive pride. I got a check last week instead of a check plus and I was really not pleased." But school is so amazing that she's already thinking of more. "Sometimes I sit in class and I'm flooded with joy. There are times the professor is so on a roll and in such command of the material, I push my notebook back and say, 'Wow.'" How do the other students treat her? "It was a little bumpy at first. I'm really not a big deal, but apparently they didn't get the memo."


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