5 vegan celebrities and what they’ve said about it: Pamela Anderson, Woody Harrelson & more

Veganuary is an annual challenge that takes place during the month of January.

Participants spend the month consuming a plant-based diet and educating themselves on veganism.

If you want to learn more about veganism or want to try the diet yourself, you may find inspiration from celebrities who have spoken about going vegan.

Read on for five vegan celebrities who've opened up about their plant-based lifestyles.

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson, who’s starred in movies such as "Cheers" and "Triangle of Sadness," has been vegan for more than 30 years. Though his vegan journey didn't begin with activist intentions, the actor has since become an advocate of the vegan lifestyle.

Harrelson began the road to veganism at 24 when he gave up dairy in an attempt to get rid of allergies and acne. Currently, Harrelson follows a mostly raw plant-based diet. He says he feels more energetic when he avoids cooked foods.

Harrelson is credited with inspiring other celebrities to try veganism, including Sadie Sink and Thandie Newton. Harrelson also invests in vegan brands such as Abbot's Butcher and has teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to protest animal mistreatment.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix, known for playing Johnny Cash and the Joker, has been a vegan since he was 3.

He recalls being on a boat and witnessing a fish being caught and cleaned. He stated that the violent event motivated his entire family to become vegan.

Phoenix has used his position in Hollywood to advocate for veganism. He's led protests, worked on vegan documentaries and rescued a mother cow and her baby from a slaughterhouse.

When he won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2020, he used his acceptance speech as a platform to call out the cruelty of the dairy industry.

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson became a vegetarian as a teenager and transitioned to veganism in her mid 20s.

Anderson has engaged in many controversial vegan campaigns over the course of her career. Her "Give Fur the Cold Shoulder" ad in partnership with PETA appeared as a billboard in Times Square in 1997. The ad featured her posing in a bikini with her body parts labelled, similar to how butchers label cuts of meat.

Anderson's outspokenness has resulted in positive change. She asked Prada to stop using fur in their collections, and the fashion house complied within a year.

Anderson was also an executive producer on the Netflix documentary "The Game Changers," which highlights the success of vegan athletes, and posts about animal agriculture and environmental disaster on social media.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain has been vegan since 2007, when she took over a friend's two-week vegan meal delivery program. She discovered that she had much more energy after she started eating a plant-based diet.

Although she wasn't initially motivated by activism, she still tries to make cruelty-free choices, particularly in her fashionable looks and products.

She's also adopted all of her pets and is a proponent of pet adoption.

Alicia Silverstone

Few Hollywood celebrities have been as vocal about veganism as Alicia Silverstone. She's been a vegetarian since the age of 8 and converted to veganism in 1998.

Her choice to go vegan was inspired by her love for animals, but she also appreciated the health benefits. She's stated that after going vegan, she became healthier and saw improvement in her skin and hair. Silverstone also believes going vegan is the most effective method for combatting climate change.

Additionally, the actress felt so strongly about veganism that she started the vegan lifestyle blog "The Kind Life" and published a cookbook based on her diet called The Kind Diet. After having her child, she published The Kind Mama, a guide to vegan parenting.

Get inspired to try vegan

The most outspoken vegan celebrities choose to go vegan for a variety of reasons, whether it's to help promote animal welfare and environmentalism or live a healthier life.

According to the government of Alberta, vegans tend to:

• Weigh less than non-vegans

• Are less likely to die of heart disease

• Have lower cholesterol levels

• Have lower rates of prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer

If you're curious to learn more about veganism, Veganuary is a great time to give up animal products and see how it works for you.

As veganism becomes more popular, there are a number of resources and products to help you transition into a more plant-based lifestyle.

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