Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria speak out for Barack Obama

Barack Obama set out his case for re-election at the Democratic Convention in North Carolina last night, ahead of the 2012 US election on 6 November.

Celebrities came out to support the president, including Scarlett Johansson, who discussed her tough childhood growing up in New York where she and her siblings "went to public schools and depended on programmes for school transport and lunches, as did most of my friends," suggesting that benefits would be cut under Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria also addressed the crowd at the convention and claimed that Romney was only interested in protecting the rich. "The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers - she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not," she said.

"Just like our president and First Lady, I took out loans to pay for school," Eva continued. "Then I changed oil in a mechanic shop, flipped burgers at Wendy's, taught aerobics and worked on campus to pay them back. We're lucky our president understands the value of American opportunity, because he's lived it!"

Kerry Washington, best known for her roles in Ray and The Last King Of Scotland, said students would be better off with a Democratic government, adding she was "a person who could not have afforded college without the help of student loans and as one of millions of volunteers working to re-elect President Obama".

Other stars who've lent their weight to Obama's campaign in recent days include Will.i.am and Glee star Amber Riley.