Joaquin Phoenix Explains Why He Became Vegan Aged Three

Joaquin Phoenix has spoken out about being vegan since the age of three.

The 46-year-old Joker actor explained how he doesn't agree with killing animals, especially when it comes to 'fattening' them up to slaughter.

"It was just absolutely obvious that that was something we didn't want to participate in and support. To me, it just seems obvious.

"I don't want to cause pain to another living, empathetic creature. I don't want to take its babies away from it, I don't want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered. It's absurd and barbaric and I just don't understand how you could witness that and not be affected by it."

The Oscar winner goes on to outline other reasons, adding: "The effect that it has on our environment is devastating. So, for me it's just my life and it has always been my life. It's really one of the most important things to me."

Phoenix has made his views very clear in the past as he's joined marches and protests as well as unveiling a banner on London's Tower Bridge making a plea for people to ditch animal products and go plant-based.

Just before his appearance at the BAFTA awards in 2020, Phoenix stood in front of a crowd and held a placard showing hens in cages, before he dropped a 390-square foot banner from Tower Bridge, which declared: "Factory farming destroys our planet. Go vegan."

"I'm going to educate him about the reality. I'm not going to indoctrinate him with the idea that McDonald's have a Happy Meal because there's nothing f***ing happy about that meal.

"And I'm not going to tell him that it's OK to read books about all the wonderful little farm animals, and they say 'oink oink oink' and 'moo moo moo,' and not tell him that that's what a hamburger is.

"So I'm not going to perpetuate the lie, but I'm also not going to force him to be vegan. I'll support him. That's my plan."