Lewis Hamilton has praised Joaquin Phoenix for leading the way and wants to follow in the ‘Joker’ star’s footsteps in standing up for animal rights and using ‘his voice for the greater good’.

While Joaquin Phoenix’s acceptance speech that spotlighted the brutalities of the dairy industry, which include artificially inseminating cows, separating calves from their mothers and robbing their milk for human consumption, sparked incense from the dairy industry group, he has found a huge admirer in the likes of Lewis Hamilton.

A fellow vegan and passionate animal rights campaigner, Lewis Hamilton praised the 45-year old actor in a post he shared with his 14.3 million Instagram followers.

Sharing a video of Phoenix’s acceptance speech on his account, Hamilton wrote: “Joaquin Phoenix has lead the way for the world here and set such an incredible example. 

“I am so proud and grateful to know there are people like him, with all the success and fame to use his voice for the greater good.”

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Joaquin Phoenix has lead the way for the world here and set such an incredible example. I am so proud and grateful to know there are people like him, with all the success and fame to use his voice for the greater good. I aspire to be able to do this. One of my biggest fears is speaking in front of the world on a stage like this, not finding the right words to express my thoughts. But I’m going to overcome it someway somehow and the only way I guess is to confront the fear and put the work in. Then I can project my hearts desire and use my voice to help heal the world

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Feb 12, 2020 at 2:11pm PST

Inspiration and aspiration to help heal the world

Although, Hamilton has been pretty vocal about animal suffering and often calls out the animal industry for their inhumane, disgusting and barbaric practices, he expressed his fears in “speaking in front of the world on a stage like this, (and) not finding the right words to express” his thoughts and concerns.

However, now, Hamilton said he was inspired and aspired to follow in the Joker actor’s footsteps.

“I aspire to be able to do this.

“I’m going to overcome it someway somehow and …project my hearts desire and use my voice to help heal the world.”

 Recently, the vegan racing car champ slammed the shark finning industry after U.S officials busted a consignment containing 1400 pounds of dried shark fins procured by slicing fins from live sharks and dumping them back into the oceans to die.

Last December, he urged Mercedes-Benz to swap animal-derived leather in the company’s models worldwide.

A vegan since 2017, Hamilton also uses his fame to promote the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. In an interview with GQ Hype Magazine, he said he saw a dramatic improvement in his performance, energy levels and gut health after switching to a completely vegan diet.

• Read: Lewis Hamilton slams barbaric shark fin trade and expresses disgust

Share this story if you’re inspired by Joaquin Phoenix and Lewis Hamilton’s activism. 

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