Andrea Quarracino
Joaquin Phoenix is an award-winning actor and animal advocate, and he’s also one of Hollywood’s most influential vegans. We took a look at what inspired Joaquin Phoenix to go vegan, his animal advocacy, and his hopes for a more compassionate future.
From Johnny Cash to the Joker, Joaquin Phoenix is known for bringing depth and compassion to complex characters on screen. That through line of compassion also shows in Joaquin’s long-held decision to follow a vegan lifestyle, as well as in his commitment to animal advocacy.
There are many reasons people opt to go vegan. Veganism is a great way to support animal welfare, reduce our environmental footprint, and even boost our health. Celebrities who choose veganism may make the shift to a plant-based lifestyle because of these universal issues. As for any of us, the reasoning behind embracing a more compassionate lifestyle may also be deeply personal.
Take Joaquin Phoenix, one of Hollywood’s most well-known vegans. Why is veganism important to Joaquin, and how did he get started on his plant-based journey? Here’s what we’ve learned.
Is Joaquin Phoenix vegan?
Yes, Joaquin Phoenix is vegan. Now in his late 40s, Joaquin has been vegan since he was only 3 years old—and says that being vegan continues to be a significant priority. “For me it’s my life and it has always been my life, and it’s really one of the most important things to me,” says Joaquin.
Today, Joaquin Phoenix and his partner, Rooney Mara, are passionate advocates for animals and our planet. As Joaquin shared in an interview with Veg News:
“When we were younger and we went vegan, it really wasn’t about health. We did it because of the mental ramifications of our understanding of animal agriculture. It was really just about compassion. But now we’re becoming aware of the impact our consumption is having on the entire planet. And so it no longer feels like simply just a personal choice.”
Who is Joaquin Phoenix?
Joaquin Phoenix is a celebrated actor and passionate animal advocate. Joaquin and his four siblings launched their respective acting careers as children, with Joaquin landing TV and film roles like SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). At age 21, he appeared in Gus Van Sant’s To Die For (1995), a performance that became a springboard for future successes. Joaquin received Academy Award nominations for his roles in Gladiator, The Master, and Walk the Line, and brought home an Oscar for his leading role in 2020’s Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix awards
From Oscars to Golden Globes, Joaquin Phoenix has received an impressive amount of recognition throughout his acting career, including an Academy Award for his leading role in the movie Joker (and Oscar nominations for his roles in roles in Gladiator, The Master, and Walk the Line), a Grammy for his work in Walk the Line, and a long list of film industry accolades. In his Oscar acceptance speech for his role in Joker, Joaquin talked about the importance of using his influence to help others—especially animals.
“...This form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know where I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it has given me, and many of us in this room, is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless.”
Today, Joaquin remains just as committed to supporting animal rights—working on documentaries, supporting animal advocacy initiatives, and even rescuing a mother cow and her baby from a slaughterhouse.
Joaquin Phoenix and animal rights
From partnering with animal rights organizations to attending marches and leading protests, Joaquin Phoenix is truly on the front lines of animal advocacy. The day after he delivered his passionate Oscar acceptance speech in support of animal welfare, Joaquin partnered with Farm Sanctuary to rescue a cow and her baby calf from a California slaughterhouse. Of the rescue experience, Joaquin said:
“My hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we’ll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness and compassion should rule everything around us.”
Joaquin also brought the story of the rescue to life in a short documentary film titled INDIGO, which follows the cows’ journey from Manning Beef to Farm Sanctuary in California.
Joaquin Phoenix vegan documentary
INDIGO is just one example of how Joaquin Phoenix’s support of animal rights extends to his film career. Years earlier, in 2005, Joaquin narrated a documentary called Earthlings that tells the story of the atrocities humans inflict on animals. In 2020 he was an executive producer on Gunda, a documentary about a pig and her family. Along with Rooney Mara, Joaquin was an executive producer on End of Medicine, a documentary that explores the link between exploiting animals and health threats like antimicrobial resistance. He also recently acquired the film rights to Free the Animals, written by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk.
What made Joaquin Phoenix go vegan?
As he shared in an interview with Vanity Fair, Joaquin Phoenix was only 3 years old when he saw live fish being brutally slaughtered while he and his family were relocating from Venezuela to Miami on a cargo ship. He recalled being with his siblings and seeing flying fish jump from the sea, then watching as fish were caught and thrown against a nail-studded wall.
That’s when he made the connection between the fish his family ate for meals and the distressed beings dying in agony on the ship. He called the memory of fish being thrown to death against the nails “violent” and “intense."
“I have a vivid memory of my mom’s face, which—I have seen that same face maybe one other time, where she was completely speechless because we yelled at her. ‘How come you didn’t tell us that’s what fish was?’ I remember tears streaming down her face.… She didn’t know what to say.”
After they settled into their new home in Florida a couple months later, Joaquin and his family became vegan. That’s also when the Phoenix family took on their new last name (it was formerly Bottom) and embraced their new lives as actor/performers and animal advocates.
Does Joaquin Phoenix have kids?
Joaquin Phoenix and actor Rooney Mara celebrated the birth of their son, River, in 2020. While Joaquin has kept his family life private, he has talked a bit about why he hopes baby River may choose to follow in his parents’ vegan footsteps.
Joaquin Phoenix says he won’t “force” veganism on baby son River
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Joaquin Phoenix shared that his stance on raising his son vegan is hopeful—but he also doesn’t plan to impose his beliefs. “I don’t think that’s right,” Joaquin said, but shared that fast food remains firmly off the menu—especially a McDonald’s Happy Meal. “There’s nothing f-ing happy about that meal," said Joaquin.
While Joaquin wants to let River make his own choices, he also believes it’s important to be truthful about where food comes from.
“I’m not going to tell him that it’s OK to read books about all the wonderful little farm animals, and they say ‘oink oink oink’ and ‘moo moo moo,’ and not tell him that that’s what a hamburger is,” he said. “So I’m not going to perpetuate the lie, but I’m also not going to force him to be vegan. I’ll support him. That’s my plan.”
Joaquin Phoenix vegan quotes and speech
In Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar acceptance speech for his leading role in Joker, he said he felt it was important to use his platform to “be a voice for the voiceless.” And it seems as though Joaquin has done just that, taking opportunities to speak out for animals who deserve better. A few of his notable quotes include:
“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 center of the universe. We go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources. 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 her milk that’s intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.” —Joaquin Phoenix, Oscar acceptance speech
"(People) understand the value of their dogs or their cats. They understand that they have unique personalities and they share videos of them. But somehow there is a disconnect when it comes to our food. And it’s just because of what we’ve been indoctrinated with." —Joaquin Phoenix, The Los Angeles Times
“I don't want to cause pain to another living, empathetic creature. I don't want to take its babies away from it, I don't want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered. It's absurd and barbaric and I just don't understand how you could witness that and not be affected by it.” —Joaquin Phoenix, Brut
Joaquin Phoenix vegan diet
So, what’s on Joaquin Phoenix’s vegan menu? From vegan burgers to vegan barbecue or vegan sushi, Joaquin seems to enjoy plant-based life to the fullest.
Broadly speaking, those who follow a vegan or plant-based lifestyle choose to leave animal products off the menu, which include:
- Milk and dairy products
- Eggs
- Meat
- Seafood
Instead, plant-based nutrition is found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, and beyond. Protein-rich foods like oats, soy, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens can help ensure balanced nutrition, and experimenting with recipes like BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad, or chai raspberry cupcakes can make vegan eating feel like a delicious adventure every time.
How to join Joaquin Phoenix
To join Joaquin Phoenix in going vegan (if you haven’t already!), all you have to do is get started. Try swapping out dairy products for a coconut milk counterpart, trade a hamburger for a veggie burger (or grilled portobello mushroom), and choose an avocado veggie roll over a seafood-based sushi. You'll soon uncover a delectable and compassionate way of eating--and the animals and our planet will thank you.
