From Hogwarts Eccentric to Vegan Powerhouse: Harry Potter Star Now Leading the Fight Against Animal Abuse

Plenty of actors leave their biggest roles at the studio gate. Evanna Lynch didn’t. The woman who played Luna Lovegood basically kept Luna’s empathy in her carry-on and brought it into real life, where she’s been loudly and consistently advocating for animals and ethical living. Given how widespread and easy-to-ignore animal abuse still is, that’s not nothing.

From Luna’s worldview to real-world activism

Luna was always the franchise’s soft-spoken truth-teller: kind, odd, unbothered by being different, and fascinated by creatures everyone else overlooked. Fans connected with that, and so did Lynch. She’s said the character nudged her toward a deeper respect for animals and anyone who doesn’t fit the mold. In a Bustle interview, she spelled it out:

"I definitely think she would be a vegetarian because I think she has such a kinship with animals... Luna’s very spiritual. She relates to people and animals, I imagine, just on a deeper level than words. People are prejudiced against animals because they’re different and they don’t communicate in the same way that we do. I think, to a lesser extent, people are prejudiced against Luna in the same way. She’s bullied for being different. And I really think she would feel that affinity."

That tracks with Lynch’s own path: she went vegetarian as a kid and later shifted to veganism as a young adult, driven by ethics more than diet trends. Early fame also forced some perspective; she wanted to use the platform for something that actually mattered to her.

What the advocacy looks like

Lynch works with groups like PETA, The Humane Society, and World Animal Protection to campaign against cruelty and push for vegan choices that aren’t performative or preachy. She also co-founded and hosts The ChickPeeps podcast, where she and guests dig into veganism, body positivity, and the nuts and bolts of living more compassionately without turning it into a purity test.

Because this fandom is what it is, she’s weighed in on Wizarding World controversies over the years with the same empathy-first approach. And in 2021 she picked up a very on-brand honor: Witch Weekly’s Most Inspiring Activist Award (via the Protego Foundation) — yes, it’s a fandom-created nod, and yes, it fits.

Where you’ve seen her on screen

Quick refresher on Lynch’s turn as Luna across the films, plus how those movies performed:

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Director: David Yates) - IMDb: 7.5 - Box office: $937 million
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Director: David Yates) - IMDb: 7.6 - Box office: $926 million
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (Director: David Yates) - IMDb: 7.7 - Box office: $943 million
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (Director: David Yates) - IMDb: 8.1 - Box office: $1.3 billion

The bigger picture

Celebrity activism can feel like a press release with a face. Lynch’s version is more grounded: she uses the Harry Potter spotlight to push for compassion in practical ways, focuses on education over finger-wagging, and keeps the conversation going even when it’s messy or unpopular. That Luna-to-real-life pipeline turned out to be pretty powerful.

If you feel like revisiting Luna’s best moments, the Harry Potter movies are streaming on HBO Max.

Thoughts on Lynch’s journey from fan-favorite oddball to full-time animal advocate? Drop them in the comments.