James Cameron Credits Vegan Diet for “Amazing Surge of Energy”

In 2011, Forks Over Knives was released, introducing thousands of viewers to the idea that switching to a plant-based diet could reduce the risk of chronic disease. Research in this area is now fairly well established, but 15 years ago, the concept was groundbreaking. The documentary had a huge impact on James Cameron, who went vegan in 2012, shortly after watching it for the first time.

‘The Game Changers’

Now, in 2026, the Academy Award–winning director is still vegan, and says he feels better than ever. On a recent episode of the podcast In Depth With Graham Bensinger, Cameron spoke about his journey to veganism, admitting that he was initially resistant to the idea because he associated eating meat with masculinity. After learning more about the health benefits of a plant-based diet, however, he quickly changed his perspective.

“We are indoctrinated with that since the time we’re born, essentially,” he explained. “It turns out you don’t [need meat], and in fact, it’s unhealthy.”

Debunking the meat and masculinity myth

Cameron also helped challenge the idea that meat is essential for masculinity and athletic performance through The Game Changers, on which he served as an executive producer. The film highlights elite athletes who follow plant-based diets and thrive.

“We thought, ‘This is it: sports performance,’” Cameron told GQ. “A lot of people care about sports performance—and between the lines, it’s sexual performance. So it’s vigor, it’s energy, it’s staying younger. We made it about sports, then went out and showed how vegan athletes were actually doing better.”

The documentary also features a notable appearance from former Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger, who isn’t fully plant-based but is a vocal advocate for eating more plants. In the film, he explains that the idea of meat as a symbol of masculinity is largely a marketing construct.

According to Cameron’s most recent interview on with Bensinger, he experienced an “amazing surge of energy and a healthfulness” after adopting a plant-based diet. “That surge has lasted until now,” he added. “I still have tons of energy.”

‘The Game Changers’

Over the past 14 years, Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, have also worked to advance the plant-based movement more broadly. Amis Cameron founded the One Meal a Day for the Planet initiative, for example, which encourages people to eat at least one plant-based meal a day for health and environmental reasons.

In 2022, Cameron even suggested there should be a new word for veganism: futurevore. “We’re eating the way people will eat in the future,” he told GQ. “We’re just doing it early.”