wizard of Oz Actor, 73, Was Impacted by Film’s Focus on Animal Cruelty

Goldblum’s On-Set Conversion

 November 18, 2025: Hollywood veteran Jeff Goldblum, who plays the villainous Wizard of Oz in the new musical film adaptation of Wicked, has revealed that working on the project inspired him to make a major personal life change: he has stopped eating meat and poultry.

The 73-year-old actor shared his dietary shift during an appearance on the British morning show This Morning, attributing his decision to the movie’s underlying themes of animal oppression.

“Working with [director] Jon Chu [is] amazing,” Goldblum said. “It’s changed me. You know, after doing this movie, we talked about the animal cruelty, I stopped eating meat and poultry.”

The Wizard’s Cruel Policies

The musical Wicked is famous for its political allegory, where the Wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible enact oppressive policies against the Animals of Oz—creatures who are persecuted and lose their ability to speak, a narrative point that highlights prejudice and injustice. Goldblum’s character, The Wizard, is central to instigating and facilitating this cruelty.

The actor said that grappling with his character’s actions and the deeper meaning behind the storyline sparked a permanent shift in his thinking. “We need the world to work for everybody on Earth, and every creature, too,” he stated, explaining his move toward a primarily plant-centric diet (often referred to as pescatarian, as he did not specify fish).

Joining His Co-Stars

Goldblum’s transition aligns him with his major co-stars, Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), who have both been strict vegans since 2013. The star joked that his upcoming holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas will look different this year, substituting the traditional roast for “another something else.”

Goldblum’s experience echoes that of other actors who have been deeply moved by their work; notably, actor James Cromwell became a vegan after filming the movie Babe in 1995 due to his reaction to the themes of animal agriculture.