Famous Vegans - Emily Deschanel

Emily Deschanel, 2009.

Emily Deschanel

Born Emily Erin Deschanel on October 11, 1976. She is an American actress, movie and television producer and has appeared in several movies, including Rose Red, Cold Mountain and Glory Road. She plays Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the television series Bones. Since the fourth season, she has also worked as a producer on the show.

Emily Deschanel: Meat's Not Green for PETA.

Quotes by Emily Deschanel:

"Twenty years ago I saw a documentary in school called Diet For a New America that changed my life. I became a vegetarian that minute and worked on becoming a vegan, which I've now been for 18 years [2011]."

When asked why she's vegan, she answered:

"Animals, earth, health – in that order."

"One way I removed myself from participation and the cruelties that go on is that I became vegan and another is involving myself in organizations like Farm Sanctuary. ... They do political work, they do outreach, they do education, and they are also a sanctuary for animals. It's an amazing place to visit. You get to know these animals that are incredible and you wouldn't want to eat them again."

"I'm a supporter of Farm Sanctuary, PCRM, and HSUS. My main concern is farm animals because it is such a huge industry. People don't even know what they are supporting by what they eat. So I do what I can to get awareness out about that. I host events, give money and time, and write letters of support. With PCRM, I wrote a letter in support of the Great Ape Protection Act."

When asked about why she got involved in the Great Ape Protection Act, she said:

"The act would end the use of chimpanzees in invasive research in the US. Right now there are about 1,000 chimps forced to live in labs where they are separated as babies from their mothers, kept in captivity, inflicted with physical harm, and isolated from other animals or humans. It is no way to live. Most of the apes who have been in these kinds of facilities show signs of physical and emotional trauma. These are such fantastic animals and we can’t let them live in pain like this. There are many alternatives to these cruel practices that don’t involve harming animals."

She is also involved with PETA. When asked how she handles it that some people view PETA members as extremists, she answered:

"I understand why people think that. Sometimes PETA makes statements that seem pretty extreme, but it’s important to realize that many victories for the animals were aided by PETA. They are very savvy about using the media to get attention for issues that people may not otherwise be aware of. Even I don’t always agree with what PETA or other organizations do or say, but I understand their importance in the movement. If you don’t agree with any particular organization, you don’t have to work with them. Don’t let it stop you getting involved; you can support a less controversial organization like the Humane Society."

She had her first child, son Henry Hornsby on September 21, 2011. When asked about her vegan pregnancy she said:

"I don’t think it’s any more challenging for me than for anyone else. You have to make sure you get all those essential nutrients. The real challenge for a vegan is getting vitamin B and omega-3s, but you can get those in a vegetarian supplement. I’ve increased my protein intake with beans and brown rice, and shakes made with almond milk and hemp powder. The funny thing is, I love kale and always used to put it in my breakfast shakes, but for some reason I can’t stand it right now."

"Saying no to meat makes me feel stronger inside; I feel aligned with my morals and ethics. I still have to defend myself because people don't understand it. As a pregnant woman especially, people will say to me, "You must eat meat and dairy." You really have to tap into your self-esteem whenever people try to convince you you're making the wrong choice."

"I’m a total hippie, so we will co-sleep and breastfeed. My mom breastfed me for more than a year, and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. It’s cheap and much better for the environment, and you don’t have to lug all that stuff around. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but I’m determined, even if it’s hard at first."

"There was a study by the UN that shocked even me, a vegan for 17 years [2010]. It said the factory farm business was worse for the environment than all of transportation in the world combined—buses, trains, planes, cars, all of them. That is huge! Everyone is concerned about driving hybrid vehicles, but not many people realize that the food they eat every day is much worse for Mother Earth."

"Right now most of the grains grown in our country are fed to farm animals. It takes a lot more grain to feed an animal over it’s lifetime before it is killed for food, than it does to feed that grain directly to humans. Not to mention the runoff from the factories which pollute water sources, like rivers. "

Quotes are from her 2007 interview with Women's Health, her 2009 interview with Health.com, her 2011 interview with Ladies Home Journal, her 2011 interview with FitPregnancy, her 2010 interview with Vegetarian Times, her 2010 conference-call interview with TV Tango, her 2009 interview with ecorazzi.