"I Just Think It's Better for the Planet" — Cillian Murphy Is Embracing Vegan Diet

Cillian Murphy has been gracing our screens with intense character performances for decades. However, the talented actor has also made the news for other reasons. As it turns out, Murphy has been an on-and-off plant-based eater for years now, following a vegetarian diet and later a vegan diet out of concern for the environment and his overall health.

As a prominent figure in film and television, including being an Academy Award winner for his portrayal of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Murphy holds a lot of influence on his followers and fans. So, let’s find out the details on Cillian Murphy going vegan.

Yes, Cillian Murphy has been following a vegan diet since 2023. In a July 2023 episode of the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Murphy told the host: “I’ve been trying the vegan thing.”

Like many actors, it seems that Murphy has switched up his diet quite a few times in the past decades. According to an interview with Mr Porter in 2017, Cillian had just begun eating meat after being vegetarian for 15 years.

He told Mr Porter at the time, “For the first series of Peaky Blinders, they were anxious that I shouldn’t look like a skinny Irish fella, and my trainer recommended meat.” The star explained that his vegetarianism had been based on his fear of mad cow disease, not his morals.

But since then, there have been further developments in Cillian Murphy’s diet.

While on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast in summer 2023, he told the host that his decision to go vegan was for the planet and his health. According to Plant Based News, Murphy explained on the podcast that eating meat didn’t make him feel his best, and he doesn't miss it from his diet.

"I don’t miss the meat. I’ve been off the meat for a long time," he said on the podcast, per Plant Based News. "I did have a kind of a relapse and I didn’t feel any better, so I’m back off it again."

Although Murphy’s original inclinations towards a more plant-based lifestyle were once based in his fear of mad cow disease, the actor made it clear that this step towards veganism was for the planet. However, according to The Daily Mail, when "pressed" on whether he missed any animal foods, he stated that he missed cheese.

Although Murphy hasn’t explicitly said whether he is fully abstaining from animal products in all aspects of his life (such as fashion and entertainment), he has made clear that he sees his plant-based diet as a conscious decision for himself and the planet, per Plant Based News. And being an influential actor and public figure, even seemingly small decisions like this can have a major influence on the public.

The Oppenheimer star will make a return to his role in Peaky Blinders in an upcoming movie adaptation of the show, per NME. Perhaps this time he will opt for building muscle the vegan way.