Casey Affleck, star of Good Will Hunting, Ocean’s Eleven, and Gerry, in which he teams up again with his friend Matt Damon, talks to PETA’s Lisa Lange about cats, tofu salad, and his dream of starting an animal sanctuary.
Is your family supportive of your animal rights beliefs?
My family would be supportive if I said I wanted to be a Martian, wear only banana skins, and eat tree bark. My mom has a good way of engaging me in a conversation about the choices I make, listening, being objective and open-minded, and respecting those choices so long as they don’t put me in danger. For a while, every meal was the third degree, but when she couldn’t refute any of the thousands of good reasons—my health, simple compassion, the health of the planet, etc.,—for being a vegan, she conceded and now is very conscious of what food she makes when I am around and, I believe, when I am not around. She is lovely. My father never blinked. For people who have been through it, made changes, had curve balls thrown at them, it is easier to digest change and digest change in other people. Change only scares the small-minded.The small-minded and me. No, I’m only kidding. I think if I gave my dad a five-minute rundown on the advantages of veganism, I could convert him without too much trouble. I’ll do it next time I see him.
Tell us about animals you’ve known.
I have had many, many cats.We seem to connect well. I had a snake when I was a boy. It was given to me on my birthday.The next morning, I woke up and there was the snake in its cage along with twelve squiggling little babies.We set them all free with their mom in tall grass by the beach. I have had a turtle, a guinea pig, a dog, and many sweet, playful, sleepy, loving cats. I love the way cats look at me.
How were you introduced to animal rights?
The first dog I had was owned by an abusive couple. He was very skittish. He wouldn’t let me hold him.There were many incidents that influenced me over the course of my life. I mean, how does one first learn about human rights? It’s constantly evolving, and if there was some big-bang-like event, I can’t remember what it was ... I know some people who can. I have friends who remember seeing fish hauled onto a boat’s deck and beaten to death. Right then and there they said, “That’s it. No more for me.” It was less of an epiphany for me and more of a Rubik’s cube-like process.
What are your favorite home-cooked vegan meals?
Tofu salad sandwich, seitan fajitas, penne arrabiata with olives and meatless sausage. I could fill the pages of this magazine, sister.
What’s your favorite restaurant for vegan food?
Candle Café in New York City is far and away the best vegan restaurant I have ever been to.The best restaurant. Period.
What animal projects are you involved in now?
I am in the process of starting a nonprofit organization that gives rescued animals a home in a simulated wild environment and, for those who have been tested on, who are disabled, aggressive, etc., their own space to live out their days. My girlfriend, my brother, and I have a couple hundred acres and need a vet to live on the property. We need an entire staff as a matter of fact. It’s a dream of ours that is close to being realized.
What do you think about people who wear fur?
Ignorant or—worse—loveless. Tell our readers the most important thing that they can do to help animals. Be good to the ones around you.They need your help.They need you to butt in, to intervene, to be nosy, to be a busy-body, to be confrontational with those who are abusing them. People should try eating no animal products for just ONE DAY a week. People should read Diet for a New America. I am very grateful to the person who gave it to me.
How do you incorporate animal rights into your work?
I have never worked in a movie with animals. No horse riding, no trained dogs, lions, bears.
