Anthony Bourdain Biopic May Be Co-Financed by … PETA?

For Immediate Release:
April 28, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Following the news that actor Dominic Sessa has officially signed on to play Anthony Bourdain in Tony, a biopic of the late chef set to start shooting in early May, PETA today sent a letter to the producers asking them to use only vegan foods and props for any scenes that call for animal flesh. And in a first-ever move, PETA offers to foot the bill if the filmmakers agree.

PETA points out that using meat, dairy, and eggs stolen from animals suffering in horrifically cruel industries, only to discard them after filming, wastes animals’ lives and fuels the climate catastrophe. With the incredible variety of mock meats, faux fish, and other vegan options available, it’s easier than ever to commit to animal-free foods in filmmaking—no matter what kind of flesh is being portrayed.

“Any meal across any cultural tradition can be depicted using kind, modern, meat-free alternatives—and audiences will never know the difference, but animals will, and they’ll thank you,” writes PETA Director of Animals in Film and Television Lauren Thomasson. “Would you please commit to no animal flesh on set for Tony?”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Tim and Trevor White follows.

Dear Tim and Trevor,

Greetings from the Animals in Film and Television Division at PETA. Congratulations on Tony, a project that will undoubtedly honor a man admired and loved by many. Given the subject matter, we suspect food will play a significant role in the retelling of Anthony Bourdain’s life and career.

It’s no secret that Bourdain was far from vegan, and in fact, many animals all over the world died for his culinary pursuits. We hope, however, that his biopic will not insist on such carnage, and instead, we urge you to use vegan foods and props for any scenes that call for animal flesh. In fact, we’ll foot the bill to make it happen.

Using vegan ingredients will spare animals’ lives, reduce the worst of food waste on set, and limit the project’s environmental impact. The violence of the meat, dairy, and egg industries is well documented, and then to use their flesh to be used as mere props in a movie, discarded take after take, we’re sure you’ll agree should be avoided.

Statements later in life alluded to Bourdain regretting not recognizing or considering the suffering that animals endure when raised and killed for food. In an interview, when asked if he believed animals were sentient, he said, “I think pain is … pain. If you don’t respond to that, there’s something seriously wrong with you.” Surely, he wouldn’t want a biopic in his honor to engage in practices he may have later regarded as ignoble.

With advances in food technology to create realistic mock meats – like Beyond Meat or The Herbivorous Butcher – and the versatility of foods like tofu, seitan, hearts of palm, and jackfruit, which have been used to mimic salmon, bacon, crab, and tuna (and even human flesh on TV), it has never been easier to implement animal-free food in filmmaking. Today, we also have vegan caviar, eggs, and even hyper-realistic steaks, and ribs.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Researchers at Oxford University found that following a vegan lifestyle is the best way individuals can reduce their detrimental impact on the environment. In the U.S., vegan eating can cut food-related emissions by nearly 75%. The tragic wildfires in LA this year made it clearer than ever that climate change is no longer a distant threat—it’s here, and the situation is urgent.

Any meal across any cultural tradition can be depicted using kind, modern, meat-free alternatives – and audiences will never know the difference, but animals will, and they’ll thank you. Would you please commit to no animal flesh on set for Tony?

Please let us know how we can help as you head into production. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best wishes,

Lauren Thomasson

Director, Animals in Film and Television

PETA