On becoming vegan
Commenting on the Academy Award, Phoenix said he never believed that one person is entitled of praise and reward, when so many people are involved in the creation of the film. That’s part of the humility that characterizes the actor, and perhaps that’s the reason why his acceptance speech wasn’t only about him, but rather about us as a society, and how he believes we can become a better society.
To this day, Phoenix says, he still remembers the incident that drove his family to veganism. It was on the cargo ship back to the U.S., seeking a new life, that his family witnessed fishermen fishing in what he described as a “violent and aggressive way,” so much so, his entire family was scarred by this sight. The violent act of fishing is what eventually drove the family, not long after arriving at the U.S., to adopt a vegan lifestyle.