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“The O.C.” star Adam Brody and actress Joy Bryant used their celebrity power Wednesday to rally students in Madison in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

With celebrities like Oprah, Chris Rock and Scarlett Johansson already voicing their support for the Illinois senator, Brody and Bryant jumped on board and are rallying supporters at college campuses across the country in support of the candidate.

The event is aimed at getting young voters excited about the election and encouraging people to not sit back and relax until Nov. 4 but instead go out and register voters, volunteer and be a part of this historic election.

“You’re going to want to say to your kids that you participated and were part of this movement,” Brody said to an at-capacity crowd at Tripp Commons in Memorial Union.

Brody and Bryant said their reason for getting involved is that they are concerned citizens using their celebrity status to encourage young people to vote.

“We have been given this great platform from our successful careers, and to whom much is given much is expected,” Bryant said.

They also shared their reasons for supporting Obama, saying he brings “a breath of fresh air” to national politics and that he is “the real deal.”

“[Obama] is empowering people to be a part of the process and to take responsibility for the government that we have,” Bryant said.

While some students who attended the event had little political concern and only wanted to see Brody, most students attended in support of Obama.

“I came to see Adam Brody, but because he supports Barack,” said University of Wisconsin senior Sam Moodie. “It’s exciting to hear what someone like him has to say.”

Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s campaign has not been known to have a large celebrity following, but Mark Bednar, co-chair of Students for McCain, said the campaign does have some important and influential followers.

“As far as involving celebrities or popular icons, the campaign hasn’t seen that as a strong initiative,” Bednar said. “Bringing in more substantial people, such as professors, is more important.”

Obama is sometimes portrayed as not just a presidential candidate but also as a celebrity, which Brody said is not such a bad thing after all.

“I think that people really like what he has to say, and so he’s now a very popular guy, and I think it’s a good thing,” Brody said.