Key Takeaways
- Jeff Goldblum has announced that he has stopped eating meat and poultry.
- The decision was inspired by the themes of animal cruelty explored in the Wicked movies, in which he stars as the Wizard.
- Discussions with director Jon M. Chu and the influence of vegan co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo played a significant role in his dietary change.
- Goldblum joins a list of actors whose on-set experiences have led them to adopt vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.
Jeff Goldblum has revealed that his experience working on the highly anticipated Wicked movies has profoundly changed his perspective, leading him to give up meat. The 73-year-old actor, who plays the iconic Wizard of Oz, credited the film’s powerful themes and conversations with its director for his recent dietary shift.
A Change of Heart in Oz
Speaking recently, Goldblum explained how the movie’s narrative, which delves into themes of animal rights and cruelty, had a lasting impact on him. “Working with [director] Jon Chu [is] amazing,” he shared. “It’s changed me. You know, after doing this movie, we talked about the animal cruelty, I stopped eating meat and poultry.”
The actor, now a pescatarian, added, “We need the world to work for everybody on Earth and every creature, too.”
Inspired by Co-Stars
Goldblum’s decision aligns him with his famous co-stars, Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda), who have both been vegan since 2013. The on-set environment, filled with passionate advocates for animal welfare, appears to have created a powerful ripple effect.
In Wicked, Erivo’s character, Elphaba, becomes a fugitive fighting for the rights of Animals (sentient, speaking creatures), a central plot point that seems to have resonated deeply with the cast.
Hollywood’s On-Set Conversions
Goldblum isn’t the first actor to be inspired by a film role to change their eating habits. Actor James Cromwell famously became a vegan activist after filming the 1995 classic Babe, where he was confronted with the reality of animal agriculture during lunch breaks.
Similarly, Woody Harrelson is known for influencing several co-stars, including Sadie Sink, Thandiwe Newton, and Liam Hemsworth, to adopt vegan lifestyles while working together on various film sets.
For Goldblum, the role of the Wizard has proven to be more than just another part. As audiences await the release of the second installment, Wicked: For Good, it’s clear the story’s magic has already worked wonders on the Wizard himself.
Image Referance: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/11/jeff-goldblum-stopped-eating-meat-after-working-on-wicked