Male pin-up actor and vegan has a message for his fellow men: ideas about masculinity are changing

Finding Nemo and Charlotte’s Web turned a teenage Richie Kul vegetarian; recently the male model and activist took the next step and adopted a plant-based diet

The California native, now Hong Kong-based, sees himself well placed to advocate for animal rights and veganism in Asia; he also feeds his dog Lily vegan food

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Richie Kul, vegan activist and bodybuilder. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 7:45am, 8 Jul 2019Updated: 5:41pm, 10 Sep 2019

From fathers who reign supreme over the sausages on the barbecue grill, to hunters who hack flesh from fresh kills, to chefs who sauté rich cuts of steak over flames, meat has long been associated with machismo. Choosing to eat less meat – or cutting it entirely from one’s diet – has not. Vegan pin-up Richie Kul wants to change that.

The actor, model and animal-rights activist has made a career from his looks and muscular physique, which has been carved without eating even a morsel of meat and, of late, without any eggs or dairy products either. That top-level athletes and even bodybuilders can sustain themselves on a vegan diet should be old news by now, yet the misconceptions surrounding meat persist – particularly among men, an audience Kul is keen to inspire with his environmentally friendly lifestyle.

“Veganism is largely women-driven – by and large they’re naturally more thoughtful and empathetic beings,” he says. “But I want to show guys that the concept of masculinity is changing. I honestly think the measure of a man is how he takes care of those less fortunate and how he looks after, rather than exploits, other living beings.

“I want to show people you can still be strong and masculine without harming other living beings. Going against the herd, going against the grain, challenging the status quo – that’s the true measure of a man.”

He is fond of the phrase “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian”, popularised by musician and animal-rights activist Paul McCartney. While he shies away from radical activism, he says exposing the unsavoury realities of livestock farming can be persuasive when discussing food with other men.