WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMALS, JOAQUIN PHOENIX IS NO JOKER
When Joaquin Phoenix got to the Oscars podium earlier this year to accept his Best Actor award for his role in Joker, he left 23.6 million viewers utterly speechless. The spotlight had already been shining brightly on the 45-year-old activist and actor, who used his prominence to effectively veganize menus at the Academy Awards, the SAG Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Critics’ Choice Awards. But it was the Oscars in particular that changed everything.
VegNews’ Jasmin Singer sat down with Phoenix to discuss that defining night, the moment that changed how he views his relationship to animals, and the one belief that helps him to keep fighting.
VEGNEWS: We’ve been blown away by how you’ve used your platforms and successes to speak up for animals this year. How can non-famous people do the same?
Certainly in how you live your life. I think we influence our families and friends with our decisions. Veganism is a lifestyle—it means not using animals in any way. I think it is important to learn about our shoes, purses, and where we get leather from, and educate ourselves as much as possible. Oftentimes, just making that commitment to a vegan lifestyle, talking about it with your friends, and posting stories can be quite profound.
