5 famous vegan actors you may not know are vegan
Spiderman, Harry Potter and Stranger Things; TV and film we all know and love. But do you know the vegan actors behind these characters? From vegan activism at the Oscars, vegan podcasts, and clothing lines, these actors are some of the famous faces of the vegan community. Entertaining the masses, these actors also use their platform to speak up about justice for animals, inspiring and educating the public about the importance of being vegan.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix is known for his roles in Joker, Gladiator, and Her, but did you know he was brought up by vegan parents and has been vegan since the age of three?
Phoenix voices the importance of using his following to speak up about injustices in the world, with his famous winning speech at the 2020 Oscars being a chance for what he called “the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless”. Phoenix went on to say how, “I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world”, and exposes the simplicities of our everyday routine with the truth about animal exploitation. He talks about the dairy industry and says how the cow’s:
“cries of anguish are unmistakable, and then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”
Phoenix states how we should abandon our sense of superiority over animals as we are all sentient beings:
“I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes. But for me, I see commonality. I think whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity. I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world, and many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric worldview, the belief that we’re the centre of the universe.”
Phoenix ends his Oscar speech with a powerful lyric from his late brother, River: ‘Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow’.
As well as acting in films, Phoenix narrated the documentary Earthlings, which details the exploitation of animals for clothing, food, entertainment, and research. Phoenix and his wife Rooney Mara both narrated Dominion, which exposes animal cruelty in Australia.
Tobey Maguire
Known for his role in the first Spiderman trilogy, The Great Gatsby and Brothers, Tobey Maguire is a familiar face on our screens. But did you know that he has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became vegan in 2009?
In an interview with Parade magazine, Maguire states, “I’ve never had any desire to eat meat. In fact, when I was a kid, I would have a really difficult time eating meat at all.”
Maguire has also had influence over the set of films. When filming The Great Gatsby, Maguire sent back a hire car due to its leather seats and requested one without animal leather.
The Spiderman star has also influenced others to go vegan, actress Natalie Portman shared how Maguire inspired her to make the change when they were in the film Brothers together.
Natalie Portman
Acting in Black Swan, Brothers, and Thor, Portman is also a vegan advocate. Since going vegan in 2011, inspired by working in the same film as Tobey Maguire and from reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Portman has spoken publicly about the importance of veganism.
Portman made a speech to students at WE (a celebratory gathering of students in Los Angeles) about the link between social justice movements and animal rights. Portman’s inspiring talk highlights the importance of speaking up for what you believe in, regardless of other people’s opinions.
“So now lots of people make fun of vegans, right? Lots of people make fun of anybody who cares about anything deeply, right? But I’m here to say it is always a great thing to care… whether it’s environmental issues, animal rights, women’s rights, equality, never be afraid to show how much you care.”
Portman also spoke about her realisations regarding the dairy industry and the environmental impacts of animal agriculture:
“When I read [Eating Animals], that was what made me become vegan. I think until then, I had thought, ‘Oh, with eggs and dairy, you’re not killing animals. It’s just their natural byproducts.’ But when I started learning about all the conditions - and the environmental effect of all these animals and the impact on humans of having large groups of sick animals together, it really made me want to change immediately.”
Evanna Lynch
Famous for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, Evanna has been vegan since 2013. After reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Lynch made the change to a plant-based diet. Lynch said that reading the book made her “think deeply about humankind’s broken relationship with animals and my own part in upholding the status quo of humans as superior beings”. Like Phoenix, Luna calls out humanity for their feelings of superiority over animals and our disconnection from them.
In an interview with Plant Based News, Lynch states how, “When I started learning about my new diet, I was shocked to discover the extent of harm to animals caused by animal agriculture. I realised I could never knowingly participate in such an atrocity against animals again.”
Lynch also has a vegan podcast called The Chickpeeps that she hosts alongside Robbie Jarvis, Momoko Hill and Tylor Starr. The podcast describes itself as a ‘friendly, fun, and free-flowing ethical vegan podcast’, discussing a range of topics ‘from vegan parenting to vegan dating, effective activism to vegan athletes’.
In another interview with Plant Based News, Lynch states, “We like to call our style of activism on the podcast ‘attractivism’. [It] means we are anti-shame and focus on providing inspiration and education.”
Lynch also wrote the introduction to a vegan cookbook called The Unofficial Harry Potter Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary plant-based meals inspired by the Realm of the Wizards and Witches by Imana Grashuis and Tylor Starr. Capturing the wizarding world through showcasing delicious vegan recipes, the book marries the fantastical with vegan food.
Sadie Sink
Known for playing Max in Stranger Things and starring in All Too Well: The Short Film, the 21-year-old went vegan at 14 after being vegetarian.
Sink was inspired to go vegan by Woody Harrelson after they were working on the film The Glass Castle together. Sink explains how she was inspired to go vegan by Harrelson and his family:
“He’s a very passionate vegan and his entire family is vegan as well, so by spending time with them, I was able to learn that a vegan lifestyle is totally doable and it’s not as hard as it may seem.”
Sink states how it was a quick change from vegetarian to vegan once she was informed of the awful egg and dairy industry.
“I realised what goes on in the egg industry and the dairy industry, so then I was like, ‘That’s it! Going vegan!’”
Sink is also an advocate for vegan fashion. The face of Stella McCartney’s winter line in 2022, Sink was seen styling handbags made from mushroom leather and garments made from organic cotton and forest-friendly viscose.
Sink talks about the importance of vegan fashion, stating it’s important to “pay attention to what you’re wearing” as well as what you’re eating, as not all clothes are free from animal products such as wool and silk.
In an interview with ELLE, Sink was asked about her favourite film, which she said was “Blackfish, it’s a documentary, but that counts.” Blackfish exposes the atrocities of whale captivity in Seaworld, specifically looking at Tilikum, the killer whale.
Now you know more about some of the famous vegan actors who grace our screens, why not find out about some West End actors who happen to be vegan.