Harry Potter Actress Speaks Out for Veganism

Irish actress Evanna Lynch—who played Luna Lovegood in four Harry Potter films—gave a moving speech about veganism during an acceptance ceremony for her Burke Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Discourse Through the Arts in Dublin. The actress touched on the devastating environmental effects of eating meat, but focused on the ethical reasons that drove her to choose veganism. Lynch stated that “killing and eating animals is a betrayal of our own core humanity,” adding, “killing an innocent goes against our nature.” Lynch was admittedly nervous to dedicate her speech to this topic, but stated, “This is a cause I’m passionate about and somehow the passion overcame the nerves.” The actress concluded her speech by insisting that the audience “check [that their] practices align with [their] principles” before answering questions. While the actress anticipated to be booed, the audience proved receptive to her message and asked for advice on transitioning to veganism, recipes, and one Harry Potter-related question: “Is Luna Lovegood vegan?,” to which Lynch responded that she thought she would be.