Here are some vegan celebrities who are outspoken defenders of animal rights and don’t shy away from promoting veganism on public platforms.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most renowned actors in the world. He is greatly credited for his excellent performance in the movie Joker, for which he has received numerous accolades and adoration. Phoenix has been vegan since he was three years old and has been very outspoken about the need to protect animal rights. He is also a dedicated activist who has narrated the iconic animal rights documentary, Earthlings, and parts of Dominion, as well as produced the documentary, Gunda in 2020.
He convinced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that runs the Golden Globes, to make the entire menu plant-based. At the Oscars 2020, he made what is considered as one of the most groundbreaking speeches of the 2020 awards season, where he emphasized on the commonality between human rights and animal rights. As Joaquin became more successful, he began starring in animal rights ads to encourage people to lay off animal products.
Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara is a vegan who is just as enthusiastic about veganism as her partner Joaquin Phoenix. She founded the animal-free clothing and accessory line HIRAETH, and is also an animal rights activist. She collaborated with the global farmed animal advocacy organization Animal Equality to release a video of her investigation into two factory farms at the end of last year.
The investigation “With My Own Eyes” urges viewers to “examine the harsh and painful reality for billions of animals and the many reasons the global community must break its dependence on animal products.”
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has been a vegan and animal rights activist for many years, and she always ensures that she uses her voice to advocate for animal rights. It was more than just a fashion statement when she arrived at the Met Gala last night wearing an Oscar de la Renta vegan silk-free peach tulle outfit.
The singer agreed to wear the outfit only after persuading the brand to remove all fur from their line. Billie has also teamed up with Nike to produce vegan Air Jordan sneakers manufactured from sustainable materials. She and her brother Finneas, who produces music with Billie, use their social media platforms and urge their audience to switch to a plant based lifestyle and treat all animals as sentient beings.
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch is most recognised for her part in the Harry Potter series, but she also devotes a significant amount of her time to vegan campaigning. The vegan celebrity has developed a cruelty-free beauty subscription package in addition to hosting the vegan podcast Chickpeeps.
Lynch also serves as an ambassador for Veganuary, a non-profit movement encouraging people to switch to a vegan lifestyle. Evanna uses her platforms and following to support the plant-based movement and raise awareness around the cause.
Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage, who is better known as Tyrion Lannister from the hit show Game of Thrones, has been vegan since 2014. He is a supporter of Farm Sanctuary and has functioned as their spokesperson for the Walk for Farm Animals. He also narrated the Face Your Food video, which advocates for a plant-based diet on ethical grounds.
Peter has also teamed with PETA to promote adoption of animals while discouraging buying. Through ad campaigns, he regularly warns the public about the horrors of the meat industry.
Ricky Gervais
Given how frequently he uses his voice to advocate for animal rights causes, Gervais’ outreach is significant. The actor, who stopped eating meat a few years ago (exact dates unknown), has repeatedly advocated for the abolition of the fur trade. He recently declared that he has gone vegan.
Gervais has also spoken out against animal cruelty in bullfighting, puppy farms, animal testing, and trophy hunting. He unabashedly uses his social media presence and celebrity interviews to talk about the importance of eliminating animal products from human consumption.
Moby
A vegan for over 30 years, Moby donates to animal rights organizations on a regular and substantial basis. He is a supporter of several organizations, including PETA and Mercy For Animals. He also owns Little Pine, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, that was founded as a plant-based community space to raise funds for animal rights causes. Moby sold his personal records and musical equipment in 2018 and donated the proceeds to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to increase awareness on the benefits of a plant-based diet.
The singer uses his 500k Instagram followers to make people aware of animal rights problems and causes. He is outspoken in his support for other activists and environmentalists, and he frequently discusses speciesism and the origins of his veganism. His advocacy is motivated by compassion, love, and an egalitarian view.
Alan Cumming
The X-men and James Bond actor is a long time vegan who featured in a video from animal rights campaign group PETA. He also convinced the President of COP26 (2021 Nations Climate Conference) to make their entire menu vegan. Cumming also accused Starbucks of punishing customers for making pro-environmental decisions and urged the coffee conglomerate to remove the mark-up on vegan milk.
Uday Chopra
Uday Chopra turned vegan in 2019 and urges everyone to adopt a vegan lifestyle by promoting its moral, ethical and physical benefits. Through his tweets and Instagram posts, he shares various vegan blogs and articles for his followers. His witty, factual and verified captions invoke curiosity even amongst non vegans.
Brian May
Brian May is best known as the iconic rock band Queen’s big-haired guitarist. He is also an astrophysicist, but he left his PhD programme after only two years to pursue his musical career. May has become heavily involved in the animal rights movement in recent years, particularly in campaigns to protect badgers from the cruel and unjustified badger cull. He founded the Save Me campaign to protect wild animals (such as foxes and badgers) from persecution.
May had been fighting for animals for years, but he didn’t become vegan until January 2020, when he participated in Veganuary as an experiment. May has been advocating for veganism as a way for humans to live in more harmony with the planet and its ecosystems since the coronavirus pandemic.
Sadaa Sayed
Sadaa Sayed is an animal rights activist, rescuer, and a vegan. She has been advocating for veganism and supports the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO). She has been fighting for animals for many years and also fought against a reported kill order for tigress Avni.
She uses her social media influence to promote the cause of veganism and animal rights. Sadaa owns a Mumbai-based restaurant called Earthlings Cafe, which serves only vegan food.
Sunny Leone
Sunny Leone is an animal lover, and has worked with PETA (People For Ethical Treatment Of Animals). She has supported numerous campaigns by PETA as well as animal rescues. She is known to use her social media influence to raise her voice against animal cruelty.
She has turned towards vegan fashion and shopping and talked at lengths about it at the Lakme Fashion Week 2020. Sunny also owns a vegan and cruelty free makeup line called Star Struck.
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson is one of the celebrities who do not just talk about animal rights but also do their best to actually make a difference. He has been vegan for more than thirty years. He supports PETA and also joined them to put an end to the ‘pig rodeo’ in Texas.
He has also been involved with the organization Million Dollar Vegan which works to find solutions to climate crisis, world hunger and animal rights. He has inspired several celebrities like Sadie Sink, Thandie Newton, Paul McCartney and Liam Hemsworth, to turn vegan.
