Fascinating articles, never would have thought about it like that.
Here's my

A lot of times when celebrities speak out on an issue or tell their own story, it can give a cause a boost or heighten awareness. For example, Michael J Fox and his struggle with Parkinson's. This is good. Other times, what a celebrity says makes them look uneducated and stupid and could potentially hurt an otherwise serious cause.
Celebrities can take themselves a bit too seriously; and I've always admired Johnny for such statements, as "I'm just a guy with an interesting job." That in itself gives more weight to any statements he might make. He's got himself grounded in reality and common sense.
That particular instance where Roscoe goes to see the child and his awe that the child looked up to him, an actor, was a favorite of mine in the book. It gave an insight into Roscoe and to me, it made him even more likeable.