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Actor and vegan activist, Joaquin Phoenix,
has been on our screen since he was eight years old.
His first every role was on the tv series
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
alongside his late brother River Phoenix.
Since then, he's had lead roles
in academy award-winning movies
including 2005's Walk the Line.
- Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.
- [Narrator] And 2013's Her.
- [Samantha] Hello I'm here.
- (scoffs) Hi. - [Samantha] Hi, I'm Samantha.
- [Narrator] Most recently Phoenix starred
as the iconic DC Comics Batman villain in 2019's Joker.
- One small thing. - Yeah.
- When you bring me out, can you introduce me as Joker?
- [Narrator] The role was a departure for Phoenix,
who once said he didn't feel big blockbuster movies
were fulfilling enough for him.
One role that it's always fulfilling
for the three-time Oscar-nominated actor
is standing up for animals.
- I've been vegan since I was three years old.
And at that age, my and my siblings
witnessed fish being killed in a really violent
and aggressive way.
And it was just absolutely obvious
that that was something we didn't want to participate in,
and we didn't want to support.
- [Narrator] Two months after the fishing trip,
Phoenix's entire family converted to veganism.
Now, even his dogs are vegan.
He rescued Soda, a large white pit bull mix
from Euthanasia 13 years ago.
During his career, Phoenix has taken many opportunities
along the way to help the animals.
Just hours before receiving the first Tribute Actor Award
at the Toronto International Film Festival,
Phoenix led a protest against animal cruelty
at the St. George subway transit station.
The event tour of the train station
which was plastered with animal rights posters,
it was led by Phoenix and Anita Kranjnc,
of the vegan advocacy group, Toronto Pig Save.
- [Anita] The only window he had was 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. today
and he has this big awards ceremony
yet he took time out to come see Be Fair, Be Vegan Toronto,
because it's so close to his heart.
So he's the type of celebrity that uses his fame
to promote animal rights and other good causes.
- [Narrator] Phoenix agreed with Kranjnc
that these types of ads should be in cities everywhere,
including Los Angeles where he lives.
- And we'd like to see these ads
in the city centers everywhere.
- Absolutely.
- You'd like to see it in L.A.
- Absolutely
- [Narrator] On the opening weekend of Joker,
Phoenix attended screening of the movie around L.A.
wearing an Animal Liberation Front sweatshirt.
The faceless direct action group
is funded through donations and the sale
of merchandise such as Phoenix's sweatshirt.
Phoenix's activism isn't new though.
Back in the 90s he was raising awareness about veganism.
He started an advertisement urging the public
to save turkeys on thanksgiving
by choosing plant-based food instead.
In 2013, he appeared in an anti-fishing campaign.
Phoenix is shown underwater thrashing around
because he can't breathe, just like fish
who suffocate when they are pulled from the water.
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Phoenix also tries to convince people
top stop using animals for fashion.
Ahead of New York Fashion Week in 2018,
he appeared on a thought-provoking billboard ad
located close to the event.
He wore a vegan wool suit which was designed
by cruelty-free label Brave GentleMan.
- I never knew that suits were made of wool.
I had that rationalization, well it's something
that is just taken off them and there's not a lot of abuse.
Which seems incredibly naive and that's
the nice way of saying it.
- [Narrator] The billboard read, "Cruelty doesn't suit me."
"Wool hurts, wear vegan."
He has also spoken out against China's dog leather industry.
He described footage from an investigation into the industry
as one of the worst things he's ever seen.
Dogs are taken from the streets
in China and beaten to death.
Their skin is then turned into leather accessories
like belts and bags.
Phoenix said in a campaign video against the trade,
"Products made from dog leather are exported
around the world to be sold to unsuspecting customers."
So if you buy leather gloves, belts, or shoes,
remember there's no easy way to tell
whose skin you're really in.
- If you love dogs like I do then please
never buy or wear leather.
Whether it comes from a dog, a cow, or any other animal.
- [Narrator] He's still starring in campaigns.
He appears on the New York City billboard
with the tag #endspeciesism.
The image shows Phoenix with a chicken,
whose eye is positioned just over his
so that both appear aligned.
He said about the campaign, "When we look at the world
"through another animal's eyes, we have to realize
"that inside we're all the same.
"And so we all deserve to live free from suffering."
Phoenix has also contributed his voice
to animal rights films.
He narrated 2005's Earthlings,
a documentary about humanity's exploitation
of animals for economic gain.
The film, written and produced by activist Shaun Monson,
looks at exploitation in the pet, food, clothing,
and entertainment industries as well
as in scientific research.
- [Announcer] Animal trainers would like
for the public to believe that animals
are coaxed into such behaviors with the promise of rewards.
But the truth is the animals perform
because they fear punishment.
- The idea was to try a different approach
so it wasn't just horrible footage
over and over and over again.
But to try to sort of logically speak to people
and say okay look, how come we cultivate
love and compassion here for this being
but in the same breath have a total attitude
of aggression toward this being?
- [Narrator] Phoenix also narrated parts of 2018's Dominion.
Similar to Earthlings, the film co-produced by Monson,
explores the way in which humans and animals interact.
It looks at how animals are exploited for human benefit.
The movie is so disturbing. some viewers
are unable to watch it in it's entirety.
According to the Daily Mail, one social media wrote,
"Got six minutes into Dominion
and that's all I could cope with."
Another added, "I believe it should be
compulsory viewing for all omnivores."
Some said they felt sick while watching.
And others said that although they found it difficult,
they forced themselves to watch the whole thing.
The film combines footage from hidden,
handheld, and drone cameras.
It shows never before seen footage
to convey how terrifying the empire
of animal agriculture really is.
A number of other celebrities helped to narrate the film,
including Sadie Sink, Kat Von D, Sia,
and Phoenix's fiance Rooney Mara.
Mara and Phoenix met on the set of Her but fell in love
during the filming of 2018's Mary Magdalene.
Mara is also vegan and passionate about animal rights.
She loves sustainable, cruelty-free fashion.
So much so that she founded her own
vegan fashion line, Hiraeth in 2018.
The brand is born out of a desire
to connect shoppers with the items they're buying.
Mara told Vogue in 2018, "In fast fashion,
"you can find faux leather boots that are really cheap,
"but while it's cruelty-free in the animal sense,
"I didn't necessarily know where those things were made,
"or if they were cruel towards humans.
"I didn't want to compromise on either thing
"and I wanted pieces that were made to last.
"So it really came out of my own need."
Like Phoenix, Mara comes from a compassionate family.
Her sister and fellow actor, Kate Mara is also a vegan.
Mara and Phoenix got engaged in 2019.
They often advocate for the animals together.
In June 2019 they marched for animal rights in Los Angeles
on national animal rights day.
Side-by-side, they led a mock funeral
procession in West Hollywood.
They carried the lifeless bodies of animals
commemorating the billions of animals killed every year
for the food and fashion industries
as well as scientific research and entertainment.
Fellow marchers carried a banner that read,
"This is how we, the human race, treat animals.
"Do you want to be a part of this?"
Phoenix believes that eating animals
is an absurd and barbaric practice.
- I don't want to cause pain to
another living empathetic creature.
- [Narrator] In reference to the dairy industry he added--
- I don't want to take its babies away from it.
- [Narrator] Just like a human, to produce milk
a cow must first give birth.
After calves are born they're often
removed from their mothers.
Male calves are often sold into the veal industry.
According to Free From Harm, there would be no veal industry
without the dairy industry.
Chickens are also abused in factory-farming conditions.
In many cases, they are fattened up
for slaughter in around 42 days.
During this time their bodies struggle to carry the weight.
Phoenix said--
- I don't want to force it to be indoors
and fattened up just to be slaughtered.
It is absurd and barbaric.
I don't understand how you could witness that
and not be affected by it.
- [Narrator] Do you agree with Phoenix?
What are your thoughts on animal agriculture?
Let us know in the comments below.
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