Famous Vegans - Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix, 2007.

Joaquin Phoenix

Born Joaquin Rafael Bottom on October 28, 1974. He is an American actor and producer and the brother of River, Rain, Summer and Liberty. Their parents were John and Arlyn Bottom. They were part of the religious cult the Children of God and traveled throughout South America. Joaquin was born in Puerto Rico. In 1978, their parents left the cult, returned to the U.S. and changed their last name to "Phoenix", to symbolize a new beginning.

Between the ages of 8 and 15, Joaquin used the name "Leaf". You can see that in the credits of the 1987 movie Russkies. Summer played his sister in this movie. He has played in many other movies, including To Die For, Inventing the Abbotts, Gladiator (for which he got an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Quills, Signs, Ladder 49 and I'm Still Here.

He got an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor and won the Golden Globe for Walk the Line, in which he played Johnny Cash. He learned how to play guitar for this role and performed all the vocals for the movie and the soundtrack himself.

He is vegan and an animal rights activist. For PETA he made a public service announcement on behalf of turkeys who are slaughtered for the holidays. You can view it at this link.

He is the narrator of the movie Earthlings for which Moby provided the soundtrack. Georges Laraque has narrated the French version.

Warning: very shocking images!
Choose carefully whether you want to watch this trailer.

Quotes by Joaquin Phoenix:

When asked why he became vegan, he answered:

"I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one fish was caught, he was writhing, then he was thrown against the side of the boat. You couldn't disguise what it was. This was what we did to animals to eat them. The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death. I recognized it, as did my brothers and sisters."

When asked what foods he likes, he answered:

"Tofu and lots of it. I like anything homemade, and if it's organic, all the better. I also love tabouli salad. I don't even really go for the fake meat stuff. I like veggies, straight up. I also wear synthetic stuff, especially shoes. I remember when all I could wear were my Converse canvas All-stars, and now it seems like most shoes are synthetic."

"Animal rights is a part of my everyday life. When you live by example, you create a certain level of awareness."

"My lifestyle is part of who I am and therefore is always a consideration when working: I always discuss this with producers, and they are very accommodating. Now there are so many cruelty-free options available, people would be foolish not to take advantage of them. It is also easier to work with computers and animatronics than animals, and that makes a difference, too. Technology has allowed us to recreate animal images - like the tigers in 'Gladiator'."

Quotes are from his 2006 interview with DNA.