20 Celebrities Who Are 100% Vegan
More people than ever are changing their diet and becoming vegans, and there are many reasons why people decide to make this change. While some people do so for the health benefits, others decide to follow a plant-based diet for ethical reasons. According to The Vou, the number of vegans in the United States was 0.4 percent in 2019, and this figure has increased to 3.5 percent in 2021. It is estimated that 14 percent of the worldwide population is now vegan.
There have been many influences that have driven more people to follow a plant-based diet, including information from governments and health organizations, an increase in vegan products and restaurants, publications relating to the subject and media influence. Celebrities have also had an impact on the veganism trend, says The Fruity Tart, as the public are influenced by the lifestyles those in the limelight lead and the choices they make. Many celebrities have spoken openly about their decision to become a vegan and their reasons for doing so. Here are 20 celebrities who are 100 percent vegan.
20. Emily Deschanel
Actress Emily Deschanel has been a vegan since she was 17, and there were many reasons she made this decision. One reason is that she is passionate about animal welfare, and she has raised more than $1.2 million for Mercy for Animals, and animal rights charity. Deschanel also said on the Switch 4 Good podcast that the environmental impact of factory farming was another reason she made the lifestyle change. The actress is best known for starring in the Fox crime procedural series ‘Bones’ from 2005 to 2017. She has also had roles in films such as ‘’It Could Happen to You,’ ‘Rose Red,’’Cold Mountain,’ ‘The Alamo,’ and ‘Glory Road.’
19. Natalie Portman
Award-winning actress Natalie Portman is known for films such as the ‘Star Wars’ prequel trilogy, ‘Closer,’ ‘V for Vendetta,’ ‘Black Swan,’ ‘Thor,’ ‘Thor: The Dark World,’ and ‘Jackie.’ Portman was inspired to become a vegan by fellow vegan Toby Maguire after the two starred in the film ’Brothers’ together in 2008. During the coronavirus quarantine, Portman used her time to post vegan cooking videos on social media. She enjoyed the experience of sharing with others how easy it was to make delicious plant-based meals that children will love. The actress’ passion for veganism extends beyond her diet, as she has invested in a company called MycoWorks. It is a company that uses mushrooms to create vegan leather.
18. Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is a long-standing vegan, as she first adopted this lifestyle in 1998. Her pet dog was the reason she decided to follow a plant-based diet. Her ethos was that if she was not happy to eat her own dog, then she should not eat other intelligent and cute animals. Silverstone is now an advocate for PETA and a passionate animal activist. She has taken part in various PETA campaigns, including posing nude and saying she would “rather go naked than wear wool.” The actress is raising her son as a vegan. She has published two vegan cookbooks. ‘The Kind of Diet’ was published in 2009, followed in 2014 by ‘The Kind Mama.’
17. Toby Maguire
Actor Toby Maguire is best known for playing Spiderman and for his role in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ He first became a vegetarian in 1992, then transitioned to a vegan lifestyle in 2009. As a child he was never that interested in eating meat, so he has had no problems eating a meat-free diet. His diet is particularly important to Maguire as he has had to both increase his weight and lose weight for various roles. During the filming of ‘The Great Gatsby,’ Maguire returned a hire car because it had leather seats and asked the company to send him one with fabric seats instead.
16. Thandiwe Newton
Actress Thandiwe Newton is known for her roles in films such as ‘Beloved,’ ‘Mission: Impossible 2,’ ‘Crash,’ and ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ Newton was inspired to follow a vegan lifestyle by actor Woody Harrelson after they both appeared in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’ She has since appeared on one of the PETA lists of the sexiest vegans.
15. Kat Von D
Kat Von D is known for living an alternative lifestyle, and the tattoo artist has attracted controversy since she became a celebrity via reality television series. Like many other vegans, Kat Von D was a vegetarian for many years before eliminating all animal products from her life. She said that the transition was a natural step. She also transformed her make up brand into a fully vegan brand. The entrepreneur has launched her own shoe brand that sells vegan shoes handcrafted in Italy.
14. Fearne Cotton
British television presenter Fearne Cotton first announced that she had gone vegan in a podcast hosted by Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series of films. Cotton said that making the switch was not as hard as she thought, and that her dietary changes were energizing. However, Cotton had already followed a vegetarian diet since she was 11. When she made the switch to become vegan, she cut out eggs and dairy products from her diet and stopped wearing leather products. Fearne Cotton has taken the vegan lifestyle so seriously that she published her own family-friendly vegan cookbook in 2019.
13. Mayim Bialik
Most people know that Mayim Bialik is a real-life scientist as well as playing scientist Amy Farrah-Fowler in ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Something that fans of the sitcom might not know is that Bialik is also a vegan. Bialik removed meat from her diet when she was 19 but did not become fully vegan straight away. She decided to become fully vegan in 2009 after reading ‘Eating Animals’ by Safran Foer. Bialik has gone on to publish her own cookbook, ‘Mayim’s Vegan Table,’ which contains more than 100 plant-based recipes.
12. Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage is known for portraying Tyrion Lannister in ‘Game of Thrones’ and for his roles in films such as ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,’ ‘Death at a Funeral,’ ‘My Dinner with Herve,’ ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,’ ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Dinklage was vegetarian before going the extra mile and becoming 100 percent vegan. Over the years, Dinklage has appeared in several PETA campaigns, including videos about the egg, dairy, and meat industries.
11. Russell Brand
Actor and comedian Russell Brand first became a vegetarian when he was 14 years old. He then turned vegan in 2011, after he watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives.’ Over the years, he has flitted between being a vegetarian and being fully vegan. After he took part in ‘Celebrity Bake Off’ in 2019, he announced on Instagram that he had become fully vegan again, and that he was enjoying making an array of tasty vegan bakes.
10. Lizzo
One of the most recent high-profile celebrities to take the plunge and remove animal products from their diet is singer Lizzo. She made the move in 2020, although she had been a vegetarian for seven years previously. She let her eight million followers know about her decision on a TIkTok video. Lizzo has continued to update her followers about her vegan journey.
9. Jared Leto
In 2014, PETA ranked Jared Leto as the sexiest celebrity vegan alongside actress Ellen Page. He has been extremely vocal about his views regarding the treatment of animals and has supported multiple PETA campaigns. Leto has enjoyed careers in both the film and music industries. He is the lead singer, main songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist for the band ‘Thirty Seconds to Mars.’ His films include ‘Suicide Squad,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Panic Room,’ ‘Alexander,’ and ‘Fight Club.’
8. Sia Furler
Australian singer Sia Furler was a vegetarian for many years before becoming fully vegan back in 2014. Her fans were first made aware of her new lifestyle when she responded to an invitation from a vegan restaurant owner to visit his restaurant on Twitter. She confirmed that she would go and enjoy a meal as she was now fully vegan. In the past, Sia has worked with PETA on a campaign to end animal homelessness.
7. Lewis Hamilton
A desire to improve his athletic performance was the primary reason for Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton’s decision to become vegan in 2017. However, his decision was also influenced by environmental concerns. He has become so passionate about plant-based food that he has opened a plant-based burger restaurant chain called Neat Burger. Even Hamilton’s bulldog Roscoe has now switched to a meat-free diet, and it has reportedly helped to resolve some of the dog’s health issues.
6. Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara has been a vegan for more than a decade, although she had begun to make the move towards a 100 percent vegan diet much earlier as she has been a vegetarian on and off since she was nine. She finally made the full switch to a plant-based diet after watching animal cruelty videos on YouTube. Mara has fully embraced the vegan lifestyle and co-founded the vegan clothing line Hiraeth. Along with Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara narrated the animal rights documentary ‘Dominion.’ Mara is known for films such as ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ and ‘Mary Magdalena.’
5. Woody Harrelson
In many of his movies, Woody Harrelson plays ruthless characters. His films include ‘Venom’ and its sequel, ‘No Country for Old Men,’ ‘The Messenger,’ and ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.’ However, in real-life, the actor has a softer side, as he really cares about animals. Harrelson has now been a vegetarian for more than three decades, and he has inspired many other celebrities to follow a plant-based diet. Former vegan Liam Hemsworth credited Woody Harrelson as the reason behind his decision to turn vegan, as did vegan actress Thandiwe Newton.
4. Joaquin Phoenix
Actor Joaquin Phoenix and his siblings grew up on a plant-based diet. He first switched to veganism at the age of three. Not only is this a personal lifestyle decision for him, but he feels so passionately about the topic that he tries to encourage others to quit animal products. He has also appeared on vegan billboards for animal rights organization PETA and attends various protests. Phoenix famously used his 2020 Oscar acceptance speech to raise awareness of the suffering of farm animals and cruelty in the dairy industry.
3. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is an icon in the music industry and has won 25 Grammy Awards and multiple other accolades. In 2016, the musician decided to become began and has said his decision was based on both health and environmental factors. Not only does he believe it is important to eat a healthy diet, but he also thinks everyone should take steps to safeguard the future of the planet and make it greener.
2. Billie Eilish
Singer Billie Eilish grew up in a vegetarian household. As an adult, she has made the decision to go 100 percent vegan. Like many other celebrities, she has used her fame to promote the vegan lifestyle and various animal rights issues. Eilish has posted videos on her social media to post videos showing incidences of animal cruelty.
1. Moby
According to Vegan Food and Living, one of the most high-profile celebrity vegans is Moby. The musician first became a vegan in 1987 and has become an advocate for this lifestyle ever since. He was inspired to change his lifestyle after he realized that his pet cat had an emotionally rich life and an amazing brain. Realizing that he wanted to protect his cat, he also realized that he did not want to cause harm to other animals. In 2016, Moby opened the vegan restaurant ‘Little Pine’ in Los Angeles.
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