6 Inspiring Vegans From The Celebrity Ranks

Veganism has grown more mainstream over the years. At the same time, however, there remain clear indications that many have unfair misconceptions about vegan lifestyles. Case in point, a 2018 piece at Vox.com cited studies indicating that vegans are essentially persecuted; studies have shown that people hold more negative views of vegans than they do of atheists, immigrants, homosexuals, and asexuals. This is, of course, not to suggest that people should have negative views of people who fall into those categories. But we don't tend to hear about dislike of vegans as much. The hope is that this will change naturally. It may even be that in the years since these studies were covered, veganism's ongoing march toward the mainstream has helped to normalize the lifestyle critics' eyes. Another factor that might help is more awareness regarding how many beloved celebrities are practicing vegans! People greatly admire the famous figures they follow, and if some of these figures' veganism were discussed more frequently, the lifestyle might begin to seem (to critics) less unusual or odd. With this in mind, here are six vegans who might inspire you and help to spread the word that this lifestyle is entirely normal –– and, for some," healthy. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZe0-1HFi-n Credit: ellenpompeo Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ellenpompeo/

Ellen Pompeo For millions of TV fans, Ellen Pompeo has been one of the defining actresses of the past two decades. Throughout most of that time, she's been the lead on Grey's Anatomy –– though a Deadline.com piece on Pompeo recently indicated she'll now be stepping back to focus on a new role for a Hulu show. Regardless, she has effectively been on fans' screens for a generation. However, Pompeo is relatively quiet as a celebrity figure, so even her fans may not realize that she practices a vegan lifestyle. She and her family reportedly "went vegan" following a doctor's visit during which Pompeo's physician recommended the diet to prevent breast cancer. https://www.instagram.com/p/CgURl8husJI/ Credit: peterdinklage Instagram https://www.instagram.com/peterdinklage/ Peter Dinklage While Dinklage may not have had as long a tenure as Pompeo on a single show, his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game Of Thrones turned him into a household name. He's another actor who doesn't publicize too much of his personal life, which may also make his veganism surprising. Dinklage has been vegan for many years and adopted the lifestyle to support animal rights. Interestingly, several of his former Thrones co-stars (like Maisie Williams and Lena Heady) are also said to be vegan. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc-98GRlEAD/ Credit: venuswilliams Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuswilliams/ Venus Williams Venus Williams is known as one of the great tennis players of her generation. However, she almost had to quit the sport about a decade ago when a bout with Sjogren's Syndrome virtually incapacitated her as an athlete. This is an autoimmune disease that cannot necessarily be cured. But Williams has found ways to "control" the condition and make it manageable, primarily by switching to a vegan diet. By all accounts, she's stuck to it, and as of 2022, she's still playing professionally. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cap2opmPt9d/ Credit: dnegspoker Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dnegspoker/ Daniel Negreanu While he may not be quite the household name Williams or Dinklage is, Daniel Negreanu is very well known to the poker community as one of the true greats. Poker.org's post on Daniel Negreanu introduces him as "arguably" the most popular player in the game and one who's amassed tens of millions in winnings –– and two World Poker Tour titles. But, perhaps, more importantly, Negreanu has been a very public-facing player in our discussion. He embraces his celebrity and is open about his lifestyle, which includes vegan eating. He claims to have been vegan for about 15 years now, saying that he started it as a health kick and stuck with it for animal rights (and continued good health). https://www.instagram.com/p/CSE_RuLFo4v/ Credit: lizzobeeating Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lizzobeeating/ Lizzo Lizzo (real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson) was a breakout musical star a few years ago with the release of the album "Cuzrelativel" "I Love You" She has since exploded further to become one of the unique pop and hip-hop artists in the United States. That said, most know her only for her music, and some fans are thus likely to be surprised to learn that she, too, is vegan. She adopted the lifestyle in 2020 and has occasionally shared her positive journey with her social media followers. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLVXL3IBeK/ Credit: zacefron Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zacefron/ Zac Efron

Lastly, we'll touch on Zac Efron –– a one-time teen heartthrob who's since become an accomplished comic and dramatic actor. Efron is famously about as fit as it gets and has indicated that he turned to health and fitness to avoid falling into substance abuse. Part of that journey has included a switch to veganism, however. Efron was quoted at LiveKindly.com suggesting that he wants to stick with the lifestyle to fit into his older years. Ultimately, veganism may not be for everyone. If you want to improve your diet, we recommend looking through our Nutrition section and trying changes to see what works for you. But people must continue to see veganism as an acceptable, ordinary, and sometimes beneficial option –– and awareness of celebrities like these practicing the lifestyle can only help!

Written by Annabelle Noris