EDIT: Some celebrities in this post may not still be vegan. Unfortunately over time, some of these people did not stick with a vegan lifestyle. I am, however, not deleting this post, as there are still some inspiring vegans listed. Feel free to make corrections in the comments below. Thank you!
Confession time: I am one of those people who enjoy catching up on whatever-the-hell celebrities are doing these days. No, not like the Enquirer or any of that crap, but just celebrity news. I know, it’s crap, but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine – especially celebrities who I love! I decided it is only appropriate for me to write about a few of my favorite vegan celebrities. Truth be told, there were a TON that I didn’t realize were vegan!
#1: Ellen DeGeneres.
When asked why she went vegan, it’s really plain and simple: “I do it because I love animals.” Heart of gold, Ellen. Heart of gold.
Inspiring Quote: “I personally chose to go vegan because I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and I suddenly realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it any longer.”
#2: Joaquin Phoenix.
I saw the movie Signs when I was in 7th grade, and was instantly attracted to him. I may not have known about his stance on animal-cruelty then, but I sure as hell saw something in him! Not only has he been a vegan since the age of 3, he is also the narrator of Earthlings.
Inspiring Quote: “It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.”
#3: Alicia Silverstone.
At the age of 21, the star of Clueless adopted a vegan lifestyle. Since then, she has written a book and began a blog (The Kind Life). I am a big fan of both! She is truly an inspiring person – beautiful inside and out!
Inspiring Quote: “I can’t think of anything better in the world to be but a vegan.”
#4: Paul McCartney.
When the Beatles’ frontman is asked why he became vegan, he tells the story of one of his own lambs. Both him and his wife were enjoying a meat dinner outdoors, and while looking out at the field, he spotted the lamb. He looked down at his plate, and made the connection.
Inspiring Quote: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we’d all be vegetarian.”
#5: Mayim Bialik.
My faaavorite Big Bang Theory star! Mayim grew up vegetarian and made the big switch when she was 19. Just this year, she released a vegan cookbook, Mayim’s Vegan Table.
Inspiring Quote: “I show my love for animals by not eating them or participating in any business that profits directly from their exploitation or – if that word irks you – their “use.” You may show your love for animals by eating them. You may love animals, but only “intelligent” ones. You may draw the line anywhere you gosh darn please, but for me, I couldn’t draw it anymore so I just gave up the line. I threw out the line.”
#6: Woody Harrelson.
The Hunger Games & True Detective star was dealing with severe acne at age 24 when a girl on the bus told him that quitting dairy would help. He took her advice, and the acne went away. He’s been a vegan for over 20 years!
Inspiring Quote: “Raw food is the best way to have the cleanest energy. We take so much care about what kind of fuel we put in our car, what kind of oil. We care about that more than the fuel that we’re putting in our bodies. It’s cleaner burning fuel.”
#7: Ellen Page.
PETA named Ellen Page the sexiest vegan just this year. I’d have to agree. Not only is Ellen gorgeous, but also kind, brave, intelligent, and compassionate. I totally want to be best friends with this girl.
Inspiring Quote: “Why are vegans made fun of while the inhumane factory farming process regards animals and the natural world merely as commodities to be exploited for profit?”
#8: Olivia Wilde.
Let me start by saying this girl is one of my girl crushes – hilarious, beautiful, vegan. Need I say more? Olivia was a vegetarian since the age of 12, and finally made the big change when a friend helped support her. Which friend? Alicia Silverstone, of course!
Inspiring Quote: “[Being vegan] is not always easy and accessible, but it’s a way of life and makes me as a person feel really good and physically look better. My skin was better, energy was better.”
#9: Mark Hoppus.
As a huge blink-182 fan, I follow Mark Hoppus on Twitter. The bass player announced his plans to go vegan, and has stuck with it. How do we know? Well, we take his constant Twitter-word for it. He continues to tweet “still vegan.”
Inspiring Quote: “It’s been months since an animal has had to die so that I could eat a meal and I feel smug as shit about it to be honest.”
#10: Natalie Portman.
Natalie is an on/off vegan. She was not vegan during her pregnancy a couple years back, but has since then picked it back up. She’s still an inspiration – just take a look at her words below.
Inspiring Quote: “Everyone has to find what is right for them, and it is different for everyone. Eating for me is how you proclaim your beliefs three times a day. That is why all religions have rules about eating. Three times a day, I remind myself that I value life and do not want to cause pain to or kill other living beings. That is why I eat the way I do.”
#11: Bill Clinton.
Former President Bill Clinton adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2010 for health reasons. Since then, he has lost over 20 lbs. Go Bill!
Inspiring Quote: “All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good, and I also have, believe it or not, more energy.”
#12: Johnny Depp.
Oh Johnny, I would never forget you. The shy actor has recently gone vegan. There is not much more that we know, because, well… he is a quiet, strange man. I like strange, though… a lot. Who doesn’t love Johnny?
Inspiring Quote: “If you don’t like seeing pictures of violence towards animals being posted, you need to help stop the violence, not the pictures.”
#13: Kristen Bell
I. love. Kristen. Bell. Everything about her – from her acting to her intense love of sloths. At a young age, Kristen never enjoyed the taste of meat, which is why she became a vegetarian. Over time, she has adopted a vegan lifestyle, and that makes me so happy. She was also named PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian in 2013 – alongside her husband, Dax Shepard. Supercouple alert!!
Inspiring Quote: “Part of my becoming a vegetarian was that I would look at my burger, then look at my dogs, and I wasn’t able to see a difference.”
#14: Alec Baldwin
Funny man, Alec Baldwin, doesn’t think environmental issues are a joke! One of the main reasons why Alec went vegan was due to his responsibility for the health of the planet. He is also the narrator for PETA’s video, “Meet Your Meat.”
Inspiring Quote: “Every time sitting at a dining table, we make a choice. Please choose vegetarianism. Do it for the animals. Do it for the environment and for the sake of your own health.”
#15: Peter Dinklage
The Game of Thrones star has been a vegetarian since his teens, and there is no end in sight. Most recently, he featured in PETA’s video about veganism, Face Your Food.
Inspiring Quote: “I love animals. All animals. I wouldn’t hurt a cat or a dog — or a chicken, or a cow. And I wouldn’t ask someone else to hurt them for me. That’s why I’m a vegetarian.”
#16: Mike Tyson
Gone vegan in 2010, 100 lbs lighter now! Tyson’s reason to go vegan was for his health.
Inspiring Quote:“Becoming a vegan gave me another opportunity to live a healthy life. I was so congested from all the drugs and bad cocaine, I could hardly breathe, [I had] high blood pressure, [was] almost dying [and had] arthritis. And once I became a vegan all that stuff diminished.”
#17: Morrissey
Morrissey of The Smiths has been a vegan since he was 11, and soon learned more about the meat industry. He is very passionate about animal-cruelty, and even wrote a song: Meat is Murder.
Inspiring Quote: “Eating meat is the most disgusting thing I can think of. It’s like biting into your grandmother.”
#18: Travis Barker
Here I go again with my blink-favoritism. The drummer went vegan after his near-death experience plane crash in 2008. The experience was a wake-up call. While Travis went vegan for a while, he is known to incorporate eggs into his diet during tour for extra protein. Vegetarianism looks good on you, Trav!
Inspiring Quote: “I’ve been vegan since I got out of the hospital… It’s another eye opener. It changed my life in a number of ways.”
#19: Alanis Morissette
The singer became vegan in 2009 after feeling overweight and unhealthy. Though she is vegan 80% of the time, she listens to what her body wants.
Inspiring Quote: “I realized I want to live till I’m 120. There’s a lifestyle that I am now happily creating that can, as best as is possible, prevent most forms of cancer and other diseases.”
#20: Tobey Maguire
Spidey!! Vegetarian since 1992, gone vegan in 2009. PETA named him the Sexiest Vegetarian in 2002.
Inspiring Quote:“It’s never really been that hard for me. 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.”
#21: Lea Michele
The glee star adopted a vegan lifestyle for both health and animal reasons. She is a huge advocate when it comes to animal-cruelty, too. Though she has admitted to caving in for cheese every once in a while, she is always a vegetarian.
Inspiring Quote: “It’s about being good to your body and the planet. I’m a foodie, but I think it’s much more fun to find things on the menu that are good for me.”
#22: Russell Brand
A long-time vegetarian, Russell Brand made the final push to veganism in 2011 after watching Forks Over Knives. This is an amazing documentary, people! Russell knows what’s up.
Inspiring Quote: “I don’t see why someone should lose their life just so you can have a snack.”
#23: Jared Leto
Jared Leto and the rest of his band (30 Seconds to Mars) are vegan! Jared has been vegetarian since he was a teenager, and made the big switch to a vegan lifestyle just a few years later after learning about the dairy industry – specifically pus in the milk!
Inspiring Quote: “I’m a vegan. I respect the environment and I do my best to spread the importance of such an issue.”
#24: Portia de Rossi
Both Portia and Ellen decided to go vegan together, and they are not looking back.
Inspiring Quote: “We are just both very happy. It feels like such a compassionate choice. We are such animal lovers, why stop short of cows and chickens? It didn’t make any sense.”
