Because the entertainment industry is so vast and pervasive in our culture — and around the globe — people are used to celebrities doing stupid things, saying inane things and behaving in bizarre ways, often after having ingested various legal or illegal substances.

So it is inspiring to hear that an actress — Mia Farrow — may have succeeded in a humanitarian achievement where the entire world has failed — she may have helped end the genocide in Darfur.

While the United States and the European Union has pushed for sanctions and other actions against the Sudan, China has always blocked any action and acted as the prime protector of the Sudanese government. The reason is China has substantial oil and other investments in the Sudan.

In a story Friday, the New York Times details how a chain of events put in motion by Ms. Farrow has led China to — at least partially — cease its obstructionist efforts.

How did Ms. Farrow accomplish this when the entire world failed? First, she realized how valuable the 2008 Olympics are to the Chinese.

Then she wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal last month calling the games the "Genocide Olympics" and demanding corporate sponsors put pressure on Beijing. She also made a direct plea to Stephen Speilberg, an "artistic adviser" to China for the games. She warned the famous director that he could "go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing games." Riefenstahl was a brilliant filmmaker but she used her talent to promote Adolf Hitler and created a particularly famous — or infamous — film about the 1936 Olympic games held in Berlin.

Four days later, Mr. Speilberg sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao asking the government to use its influence to stop the killings in Darfur.

China, who did not want any bad publicity to interfere with the 2008 Olympics showcase, dispatched a senior diplomat to Sudan to urge — which means ordered —the Sudanese government to accept an U.N. peacekeeping force.

There have been hopes raised in the Darfur crisis before and those hopes have often been dashed. However, in the past, China has been a main obstacle in stopping all relief and humanitarian efforts in the region. Now, it appears China wants to be conciliatory.

There is no guarantee that the genocide will cease, but the chance for stopping the killing looks better now than it ever has.

The world owes a debt of thanks to Ms. Farrow.