Actress, Producer and Vegan Academy Award-winning Actress Natalie Portman
Interview and Article by Ken Spector | June 29, 2018
HappyCow’s Ken Spector spoke with Acadamy Award winning actress, producer, director and animal rights activist Natalie Portman, who has been vegetarian since she was nine years old.
In 2009, while attending Harvard University, she read a book by Jonathan Safran Foer called “Eating Animals”. She received an early copy of the book from Foer, who she had met at one of his book readings in 2002. She was inspired by the book and its portrayal of the cruelties of factory farming, and realized that eating dairy and eggs could also harm animals. This led her to remove dairy and eggs from her diet and became fully vegan. She called up Foer and told him she thought the book should be made into a documentary. It took nearly ten years for the book to be produced into a documentary. Portman serves as a co-producer with Foer and is the narrator of the film.
The film focuses on the evils of factory farming. As Portman told Spector, “I want to make people more aware of what they eat. I felt there was a lot I didn’t know about where food comes from. Factory farming has replaced traditional farming, and when we think of a farm with animals roaming around freely on grass, that does not exist. There is an incredible human cost and terrible treatment of animals, and there is a major environmental cost”.
Spector then asked Portman what she says to those who feel there is no such thing as humane animal agriculture farms. Portman stated “Although I’m vegan, I don’t think it’s realistic right now for everyone to be on a plant-based diet. The documentary discusses small traditional farming as opposed to factory farming as the much better option for those who are not vegan. The documentary is more about getting away from factory farming and its destructive nature. I would be thrilled if people started implementing small changes in the way they eat – even one meat free meal a day or one meat free day a week would make such a huge difference if the majority of people ate that way.
The interview continued:
KEN SPECTOR: What was the most shocking fact you have learned about factory farming?
NATALIE PORTMAN: That 99% of all of the meat and dairy farms are factory farms, and that there is illegal levels of pus found in some milk. The animals are sick and pus is going into the milk.
KEN SPECTOR: Have you seen Cowspiracy, Earthlings, and other documentaries? Which has had the greatest impact on you?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Yes, I have. All of those have had a great impact, and have helped me to see the health and environmental benefits that veganism brings. Until “Eating Animals”, there hasn’t been something so focused on the farmers, and the system of factory farming versus small traditional farming.
KEN SPECTOR: You were born in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has 4 vegan restaurants listed on HappyCow, Tel Aviv has 31. And Israel has the most vegans per capita in the world at around 5%. Have you been back to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv recently to discover the vegan cuisine there?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Wow. I did not know that. That’s great. I was there about a year ago, and yes, the vegan food there is excellent, and it’s easy to be a vegetarian or vegan there.
KEN SPECTOR: Have you used HappyCow before?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Yes, I have used the web version to find restaurants. I didn’t know about the HappyCow app, but will check it out.
KEN SPECTOR: You are married to a non-vegan husband. Have you had any challenges due to your dietary differences?
NATALIE PORTMAN: We are very respectful of each other choices. We eat as a family, and this is very important to us. My husband eats more vegan than not. It is important to understand the different choices. I don’t like when people force their views on others, and I think it is important to be respectful of other’s choices.
KEN SPECTOR: How do you feel about the cultured meat movement? Would you be interested in trying cultured meat?
NATALIE PORTMAN: I have not heard of that before. It’s meat made in a laboratory?
KEN SPECTOR: It’s meat produced via cell culture, rather than from a whole slaughtered animal. I have read that some affordable cultured meat may be available later this year or next. The cell cultures currently require an animal product, called fetal bovine serum, but at least one company claims they are not using this serum.
NATALIE PORTMAN: That personally doesn’t sound like something I would want to try. A lot of these substitutes are going to make people change their habits, and I support anything that promotes less animal cruelty.
KEN SPECTOR: Supposedly, they will be able to tweak the saturated fat of the cultured meat into healthy omega 3’s to make it “healthier”, and then replicate it. But I am not interested in trying either.
KEN SPECTOR: Have you tried the Impossible Burger or the Beyond Burger yet?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Yes, I have. I do really like the Impossible Burger.
KEN SPECTOR: Can you recommend any vegan cheeses?
NATALIE PORTMAN: I like Kite Hill.
KEN SPECTOR: Do you have a favorite veg restaurant in the world, and a favorite dish?
NATALIE PORTMAN: That’s hard. I like Middle Eastern. Couscous maybe, or Thai Green Curry. It’s not completely vegan, but I like Blue Hill in New York, but for vegan/vegetarian, I like Dirt Candy. In Los Angeles, I really like Crossroads and Bulan Thai.
KEN SPECTOR: Have you tried Satdha (vegetarian) on Lincoln in Santa Monica or Araya’s Place on Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles? Those are two of my favorite Thai restaurants.
NATALIE PORTMAN: No, I haven’t heard of those, but i’ll have to try them. Thanks for the tips.
KEN SPECTOR: I had read that you have a dream of having a vegan cooking show. Has anyone taken you up on your offer? What is, in your opinion, the most delicious dish that you cook?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Not yet. I really just like eating. As far as a dish that I cook? Maybe vegan chili, a green curry or stir fry. Basic dishes.
KEN SPECTOR: Where can people view your “Eating Animals” documentary?
NATALIE PORTMAN: The documentary is opening in different cities. New York since last weekend. The film opened in LA this past weekend, and is expanding to 16 different cities and in certain countries internationally. You can Google to find where it is playing near you.
KEN SPECTOR: Thank you for speaking with me, Natalie.
NATALIE PORTMAN: Thank you, Ken.
