Paul Wesley

Paul Wesley (born Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski) is a Polish-American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries from 2009 to 2017, and James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds from 2022, for which he won Best Guest Star in a Television Series at the 2024 Saturn Awards, and was nominated again in 2026.

Why Paul Wesley is vegan

Paul Wesley is vegan for the animals and health.

Paul grew up surrounded by plant-based family members and made the change to a more compassionate lifestyle himself after watching Netflix’s documentary Cowspiracy. He told VegNews:

“Most of my immediate family is actually plant-based, so I grew up with that influence. Netflix’s Cowspiracy immediately stopped me from eating beef, pork, and all mammals, but I was still occasionally eating fish and sometimes even dairy. I didn’t know any better. Thankfully, I watched even more documentaries and read many books and the choice to go vegan was obvious. Some of my favourite books and documentaries are Eating Animals, The Game Changers, Seaspiracy, and How Not to Die. I’m so proud to be a vegan. It’s the best decision I ever made. For my health and for the world and for the sake of decency and compassion.”¹Sanchir, A. 2023. Why ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Actor Paul Wesley Is More Interested in Vegan Bourbon Than Blood. VegNews. Available: https://vegnews.com/paul-wesley-vegan [Accessed 13 August 2026].

In 2025, he told Men’s Health that being plant-based makes him feel “lighter and more energised” and although he’s not counting calories, he cares about eating foods that are going to help him live longer and he’s committed to a healthy lifestyle.²Men’s Health. 2025. Everything Paul Wesley Eats In a Day | Eat Like | Men’s Health. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-q9hJJJBik&t=6s [Accessed 13 August 2026].

Since going vegan, Paul has used the platform his fame has given him to speak out about animal rights and vegan issues.³Animal Save. 2022. Paul Wesley – A Vegan Vampire Speaks Out. Available: https://thesavemovement.org/paul-wesley-a-vegan-vampire-speaks-out/ [Accessed 13 August 2026]. He also launched a vegan bourbon company and invested in a vegan dog food company after he learnt what was in traditional dog food.⁴Foreman, P. 2022. Vegan Actor Paul Wesley’s ‘Heart Broke’ After Learning The Truth About Dog Food. Plant Based News. Available: https://plantbasednews.org/news/celebrities/vegan-actor-paul-wesleys-dog-food/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].

“I’m so proud to be a vegan. It’s the best decision I ever made. For my health and for the world and for the sake of decency and compassion.”