Earlier this month, Joaquin Phoenix stepped up to the Oscar podium to receive his Oscar for âBest Actorâ - giving a long-awaited speech that shook both longtime fans and the legions of new followers heâs gained from his performance in Todd Phillipsâ Joker. 

© Reuters

Some 23.6 million people watched the Oscars this year - making prime award speeches such as âBest Actorâ a pretty incredible platform to raise awareness for social causes. In the past, actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio took the moment to highlight climate awareness issues - Phoenix, however, not only gave those a mention, but took apart the meat and dairy industry with a nuanced and philosophical piece on human selfishness and ignorance of the suffering of animals.

âI think that weâve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us what weâre guilty of is an egocentric worldview, the belief that weâre the centre of the universe,â asserted Phoenix. âWe go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk thatâs intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.â

It wasnât all lip-service though. Earlier this week, Phoenix knocked on the doors of a Californian slaughterhouse, with the intent to rescue a calf and mother-cow from the axe.

Along with an entourage that consisted of Phoenixâs fiancee, actress and activist Rooney Mara, the pairâs mothers, Earthlings Director Shaun Monson, Los Angeles Animal Save Founder Amy Jean Davis, and animal rights activist, Gene Baur.

Joaquin spoke with the CEO of the Pico Rivera slaughterhouse, Anthony di Maria, and explained his animal welfare views. Di Maria said his operation was different from others across America in the way they don't separate their newborn cows from their mothers straight after birth. After introductions, he went on to take the entourage for a tour of the facility.

© Farm Sanctuary

After this, the owner went on to allow Phoenix to take a calf and her mother away from the slaughterhouse. A pretty emotional scene unfolded as Phoenix took the pair into a trailer, calf in arms. 

© Reuters

The cow and her calf, named Liberty and Indigo respectively, were taken to Baurâs Farm Sanctuary, where theyâll be able to live out in peace. Baur insists that the video was unplanned in the wake of Phoenixâs Oscar speech - regardless of whether it was or not, the actor has long campaigned against animal cruelty. Heâs been a vegan for several years now and has had a long-running association with PETA. His support also shows itself behind-the-scenes in his films - for his stellar role as Johnny Cash, the actor famously donned vegan leather boots. 

The actor concluded: "I never thought I'd find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony and opening my heart to his, I realise we might have more in common than we do differences. Without his act of kindness, Liberty and her baby calf, Indigo, would have met a terrible demise.â

âMy hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we'll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness and compassion should rule everything around us.â

View the full article