values

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

One of 24 questions in The Q&A here.

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On the record

Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Arts and letters 34 Politics and public life 4
Read by age Any age In their thirties 8 In their forties 4 In their fifties 11 In their sixties 6 Seventy and beyond 9
Barack Obama 44th President of the United States, 2009–2017; United States Senator from Illinois 2005–2008
People ask me sometimes, who inspires you, Mr. President? Those quiet heroes all across this country -- some of your parents and grandparents who are sitting here -- no fanfare, no articles written about them, they just persevere. They just do their jobs. They meet their responsibilities. They don't quit. I'm only here because of them. They may not have set out to change the world, but in small, important ways, they did. They certainly changed mine.

Recorded Barnard College, New York City, The White House (Obama administration archive), 14 May 2012 source ↗

Michelle Visage
Madonna, she is a trailblazer. She changed the face of pop music for women. She did so much for the Aids movement, encouraging people to vote and the voices of LGBTQIA+ people. Fashion icon, music icon – she deserves all the credit.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 January 2024 source ↗

Walton Goggins
My wife, because of the lessons we’ve learned and what we have overcome over the course of our time together.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 May 2025 source ↗

Tamsin Greig
Nick Cave for his determination to hold a space for public discourse on the deep and difficult and mysterious elements of life.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 17 May 2025 source ↗

Stephen K Amos
John McCarthy, the journalist who was held captive for five years in Beirut. I’ve met him and he was so full of peace, humility and forgiveness – it was inspiring.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 September 2025 source ↗

Bear Grylls
I love and admire Julia Roberts, one of our Running Wild guests, for the way she has a few close friends, is loyal to her family, doesn’t believe in all the fame stuff and can laugh at herself.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 January 2026 source ↗

Natalie Imbruglia
Alanis Morissette because, in my earlier career, she was a big influence on me and had a feistiness that you didn’t see much of in women in the industry. Also, she has been very vocal about mental health issues.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 July 2026 source ↗

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