PETA is urging everyone to choose the vegan option when shopping or dining out in its new campaign

Alan Cumming has been photographed naked for head-turning taxi-top ads in New York City with animal rights organization PETA.

The Tony Award winner is shown wearing only a head of strategically placed romaine lettuce covering his nether region.

The new ad promoting veganism for PETA was shot at Ladybird, a restaurant in New York City’s East Village.

 The accompanying text on the cheeky ad reads: “I’m the vegan option. Join me!”

The vegan charity also filmed a fun behind-the-scenes video of the New York City photo shoot.

 “I think it’s the first time I’ve been naked in an East Village restaurant — let’s leave it at that,” Cumming jokes in the video, as the camera captures him sitting naked on a sofa with a plate of donuts on his lap strategically covering his modesty.

He also spoke about what he likes to order when eating out. “My favorite vegan option, if I’m looking at a menu, I would probably go for the sides,” he said. “I’m kind of a sides man in those situations.”

 Extolling the virtues of a vegan lifestyle, Cumming further added: “If someone is questioning being vegan, I would say to them, ‘Don’t be ridiculous — just do it. It’s much, much easier than you think. We’re not living in the dark ages anymore. You can totally function’”

The actor, who turned vegetarian in 2010 and vegan in 2012, said he was inspired to follow the lifestyle by Mike Tyson.

“The reason I became vegan is because Mike Tyson is a vegan. And I thought, ‘If Mike Tyson can do it, surely I can.'”

PETA states that going vegan “spares nearly 200 animals immense suffering and terrifying deaths every year,” while noting the health benefits to humans.

PETA’s naked celebrity campaigns

PETA often runs campaigns that have celebrities backing the cause. Other famous faces who have appeared in similar campaigns and shed their clothes for a higher cause include Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Eva Mendes, and Olivia Munn.

 Mixed opinions

PETA’s campaign with a naked Cumming did, however, cause a lot of people to criticize the organization and the actor.

“If anything this puts me off being vegan,” wrote one user.

“Unfollowed, don’t need to see naked people to know not to hurt animals,” added another.

A third commented: “And being naked helps vegans? If anyone can elaborate on how roaming around naked helps veganism ?”

“No…. Been vegan for 5 years…. And as a vegan this does not help others become plant base. tf being naked have to do with vegan…. We are not nudist tf,” a fourth user wrote.

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