There are a multitude of reasons as to why one may want to tread down the path of vegetarianism. A ‘healthy’ lifestyle is quite high up there on the list. As per the American Dietic Association, as quoted in a Harvard Health report, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases”. Beyond, the ambit of the personal, there is also the factor of practicing what one preaches. In recent times, being vegetarian actually signifies more than just a dietary switch. It has evolved to represent a socially-informed choice made by many, in defense of the defenseless.
Veganism then, represents a foolproof path to actualise animal advocacy in the most airtight terms. We won’t be wrong to say then, that veganism is essentially elevated vegetarianism. Here’s taking a look at some of our favourite Hollywood A-listers who happen to be leading by example in this regard.
Joaquin Phoenix
There is no greater testament to Joaquin Phoenix’s commitment to the cause at hand than his (in)famous Oscars speech. For his first, very well-deserved Academy Award win for Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019), the sequel to which Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit theatres in a few hours, Joaquin used his moment on stage to hold the audience captive with an impassioned speech largely topical to animal rights and speciesism, both things which man is very much accountable for.
Some hard-hitting excerpts from his speech, speak for themselves. He said, “We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then, we take milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal…When we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment”.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt has never directly commented on his dietary preferences. However, during a red carpet byte for the 77th Golden Globe Awards in 2020, Brad had commented on the vegan menu with an insightful take on how such event decisions are actually more inclusive than exclusionary. He said, “I’m all for it. It makes sense, (be)cause everyone can eat vegan but not everyone can eat a steak”.
Billie Eilish
One half of the raucous brat summer brigade thanks to the ear-popping banger Guess, singer Billie Eilish too, is vegan. As a matter of fact, she was raised vegetarian before she out of her own volition, chose to give up eating any and all animal products when she was 12 years old, going vegan. In an Instagram reel shared by her back in 2022, she explained, “I was raised vegetarian, and I chose to stop eating all animal products when I was 12. Once I learned about how animals are treated in our industrial food system, I didn’t want any part of it”.
Natalie Portman
Actor Natalie Portman turned vegetarian at the tender age of 9. In 2011, she took the big vegan plunge and has never looked back since then. What is truly heartening and rather insightful about Natalie’s rationale here, is how her choice to be vegan is actually deeply tied to her feminist outlook. During a speech she gave for WE Day in Los Angeles a few years back, Natalie explained, “Only after I became active in women’s issues did I realize that my veganism was related to those very issues. Dairy and eggs don’t just come from cows and chickens, they come from female cows and female chickens. We’re exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk”. She added, “Mothers are separated from children to create milk. Animals are sick and in crowded, prison-like conditions to make dairy and eggs. It doesn’t take a lot to draw the line from how we treat animals to how we treat humans”.
Madelaine Petsch
Riverdale star Madelaine Petsch had quite the head start when it came to advocating against animal cruelty. The actor was raised vegan. In an interview with Shape magazine, Madelaine explained, “I was raised vegan, so I’ve always eaten super clean. I ate out of my dad’s garden my entire life. It’s pretty great, and I think I took it for granted”. She added, “Being vegan keeps my body fueled and running smoothly. Clean, non-processed foods, (help) avoid feeling fatigued on long work days”.
What are your thoughts about being vegetarian or vegan?