TV’s Biggest Vegetarian Stars

While TV characters tend to follow the status quo to appeal to the widest possible audience, vegetarianism has a definite presence on the television landscape. In no particular order, here are some favorite past and present veg characters to catch on the boob tube.

Lisa Simpson: The Simpsons
Eight-year-old Lisa switched to vegetarianism after she went to a petting zoo with her family and fell in love with a cute little lamb. Kwik-E-Mart clerk Apu (who’s vegan!) introduced her to tofu dogs, and she’s been veg ever since, one of the few character changes that stuck in this long-running series.

Angela Martin: The Office
A super-conservative cat lover and head of accounting at Dunder Mifflin, Angela proves that an animal-friendly lifestyle comes in all shapes, sizes, and political leanings. She can be a bit abrasive to her human co-workers, but her compassionate diet points to her softer side.

Sara Sidle: CSI
This forensic scientist encounters dead bodies on a regular basis, but she couldn’t stand to see a dead pig used during a crime-solving experiment, and subsequently turned vegetarian. Sara is played by Jorja Fox, a vegan actress frequently nominated on PETA’s list of sexiest vegetarians.

Mr. Spock: Star Trek
The rational, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock does not eat meat because “it is illogical to kill without reason.” The Vulcan race is non-violent and wants to preserve species, not destroy them. Leonard Nimoy portrayed Spock in the original series, and he can relate to his iconic character because he also avoids meat for a more harmonious, sustainable lifestyle.

Robin Wood: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A prominent person in the last season of this cult hit, the mysterious principal of Sunnydale High never elaborates on his veg-status, simply stating that he would never go to a burger joint because he is a vegetarian. Tall, dark, and handsome, his plant-based diet certainly didn’t hinder his vampire-killing abilities, or his chances of getting a date.

Brenda Walsh: Beverly Hills: 90210
In the teen soap’s 100th episode, female lead Brenda Walsh becomes involved in animal rights after a dog she adopted, who survived medical testing, dies from cancer. She announces to her family that she is a vegetarian and tries to stop animal testing at her university.

The Doctor: Doctor Who
The Doctor went vegetarian way back in 1985, after he encountered a carnivorous space alien who wanted to eat his human sidekick. At the end of their ordeal, the Doctor tells his female companion, “From now on, it’s a healthy vegetarian diet for the both of us.”

Phoebe Buffay: Friends
The lovably flighty Phoebe was a long-time vegetarian, but she wasn’t perfect. When she inherited a vintage fur coat, she wore it a few times, before giving it away out of guilt. She also ate meat while pregnant, but only once her friend Joey promised to go veg so no additional animals would be killed. Despite these few missteps, Phoebe was an eco-conscious animal-lover throughout the show’s 10-year run.