– Bong Joon ho (“Okja”, 2017): Turned vegan temporarily after witnessing slaughterhouse conditions during research for filming.
– Sam Fell (“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget”, 2023): after depicting factory farming in a children’s movie, Fell turned vegetarian permanently despite on-set challenges.
– Natalie Portman (“Brothers”, 2009): Transitioned to veganism with help from Tobey Maguire’s on-set vegan chef setup.
– Chris Hemsworth (Avengers films,2018-19): Used a prosperous,protein-rich vegan diet temporarily to maintain physique but returned to his previous eating habits post-filming.
– “Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi” team (2017) ate onyl vegetarian meals during filming out of cultural respect for Gujarati traditions at Navratri festival locations.
Dietary transformations due to exposure on film sets reflect how production environments can act as microcosms for broader societal changes-such as ethical concerns over meat consumption and environmental sustainability tied to plant-based diets. The Indian filmmaker Sanjay Chhel’s led initiative exemplified this with “Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi,” blending traditional Gujarati vegetarian customs into Bollywood practices while fostering cross-cultural harmony within the crew.For India-a predominantly vegetarian country due to cultural and religious influences-these stories intersect well with growing global awareness about sustainability thru diet choices. Though temporary conversions highlight individual adjustments rather than systemic change, they underline how industries like filmmaking can echo larger debates around ethical consumption worldwide.
Read more: 10 Movie-Making Experiences That Made Cast & Crew Plant-Based