Richard Linklater Spoofs His Own 12-Year ‘Boyhood’ With 30-Year ‘Veghood’

Oscar-Nominated Director’s PETA Video Explores How Vegetarian Eating Changed Over ‘Decades’

For Immediate Release:
February 17, 2015

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

If you thought that the span of 12 years in Richard Linklater‘s Oscar-nominated Boyhood was something, wait until you see Veghood—the director’s new video for PETA, which covers an impressive 30 years. Don’t believe it? Take a look: Every “five years,” Linklater sits down with PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—and points to the many reasons why he’s (still) a vegetarian Texan, from saving 100 animals every year to protecting the environment.

“So it’s been over 30 years since I first went vegetarian,” says modern-day Linklater. “By my calculations, that’s over 3,000 animals saved, so that’s pretty cool. And also apparently it’s been pretty healthy. Look—I don’t think I’ve aged at all!”

To watch the passage of time in the video, just keep an eye on Linklater’s outfits (like the Back to the Future–inspired puffy vest in “1985”) and the props on the table (like the Beanie Baby in “2000”). And if there’s any doubt that the Texan filmmaker was able to go and stay vegetarian in the Lone Star State, take it from him: “We have everything, and it’s bigger,” he deadpans. “We have bigger vegetables. Bigger fruit. The best. Because it’s Texas.”

Linklater joins a growing list of actors, directors, and other celebrities—including Justin Theroux, Charlize Theron, Darren Aronofsky, Adrien Brody, Joaquin Phoenix, Woody Harrelson, and Penélope Cruz—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.