Peter Egan (vegan) – The Veteran Actor with a Heart of Gold, Part 1 of 2

Peter Egan (vegan) has been gracing our screens and stages since 1967, starring in a wide genre of movies and sitcoms such as “Chariots of Fire,” “Gobble,” and “Bean: The Movie.” He is most recently known for his role in “Downton Abbey,” and he has also been featured in documentaries for the animal liberation movement, “iAnimal: Through the Eyes of a Pig,” which highlights the cruelty of the industrial animal-people raising operations that are destroying the planet. Mr. Egan generously shares his vegan transition experience.

“I considered myself to be a very compassionate, animal-loving human being because I love my dogs, but I hadn’t fully focused on where my food came from. And then, about twelve years ago, I watched a film called “Earthlings,” which is a devastating documentary about intensive animal agriculture. The film is so shocking and shows all forms of species of animals that we eat and how they are dispatched. I found it so completely depressing and upsetting that I decided there and then, after watching this documentary, that I would never eat any animal product again.”

“I feel incredibly happier. I find it wonderful. Spiritually, my life changed fundamentally because I now don’t ever, ever have death on my plate. And I feel every time I eat a meal, I feel uplifted by the fact that the food that I am eating has been compassionately produced. And that really makes me feel, spiritually, a million times better than I ever felt before. I found that when I stopped, when I took animal products out of my diet, I also stopped having any kind of acid reflux.”

As part of Mr. Egan’s contribution to promoting the vegan lifestyle, he prepared a speech for the COP26 Summit, a meeting of World Leaders to instigate mitigation plans for a sustainable future for our planet. We share an excerpt of his speech dedicated to the words of Supreme Master Ching Hai from Her book published in July 2021.

“In the book ‘Love Is The Only Solution,’ the author also addresses methane as a large emitter. She says, ‘You may ask, what is the main cause of this damage and destruction to the environment? Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not the coal industry or cars or planes or trains or boats or ships. It’s methane, methane (which) is produced primarily by the livestock industry.’

So, if the livestock industry is the primary cause of this disastrous situation, well, the solution is easy, isn’t it? We must all change our diet. I mean, surely, everyone can do that! Once again, the untold story is that families don’t understand how they can dramatically reduce global warming. With a fierce commitment to their own health and a huge love for the animals and for Mother Earth, they can surely change their diets and, by doing so, make a massive contribution.”