Theo Rossi

Theo Rossi, the actor
Credit: “Theo Rossi” by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0

Theo Rossi is an American actor and producer best known for playing Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz in Sons of Anarchy and Hernan “Shades” Alvarez in Marvel’s Luke Cage. His later credits include the crime thriller Emily the Criminal and the hit HBO miniseries The Penguin with Colin Farrell.

Why Theo Rossi is vegan

Theo Rossi is vegan for the animals.

Rossi went vegan in 1997, when he was 22 years old. He has linked the decision to growing up around animals, including rescued dogs, cats, hamsters and snakes. In a 2021 interview, he spoke about how different vegan eating was in the late 1990s, before mainstream plant-based options were widely available, and described sticking with it as something that simply works for him.1Mazziotta, J. 2021. ‘Sons of Anarchy’ ‘s Theo Rossi Has Been Vegan Since 1997: ‘I’m Not Big on the Whole Food Thing’. People. Available: https://people.com/health/sons-of-anarchy-theo-rossi-has-been-vegan-since-1997/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].

He has also supported animal protection campaigns with PETA. In 2023, Rossi and Sons of Anarchy co-star Emilio Rivera appeared in PETA’s “Real Men Don’t Chain Dogs” campaign, urging people to treat dogs like family and not keep them chained outdoors.2VonSosen, M. 2023. Which Two ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Actors Reunited for Dogs? Peta. Available: https://www.peta.org/news/sons-of-anarchy-actors-for-dogs/ [Accessed 13 August 2026]. He has also worked with PETA on adopt-don’t-shop messaging, appearing in a campaign with his adopted dog Benito and discussing why adoption matters.3Peta. Theo Rossi Brings Love to the Rescue (Rescued Dogs, That Is). Available: https://www.peta.org/features/theo-rossi-adopt-dont-shop-ad/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].

“I have a certain connection to animals. I’ve never lived a day in my life without multiple animals… I’ve always rescued dogs.”4Mazziotta, J. 2021. ‘Sons of Anarchy’ ‘s Theo Rossi Has Been Vegan Since 1997: ‘I’m Not Big on the Whole Food Thing’. People. Available: https://people.com/health/sons-of-anarchy-theo-rossi-has-been-vegan-since-1997/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].

References:

  1. Mazziotta, J. 2021. ‘Sons of Anarchy’ ‘s Theo Rossi Has Been Vegan Since 1997: ‘I’m Not Big on the Whole Food Thing’. People. Available: https://people.com/health/sons-of-anarchy-theo-rossi-has-been-vegan-since-1997/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].
  2. VonSosen, M. 2023. Which Two ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Actors Reunited for Dogs? Peta. Available: https://www.peta.org/news/sons-of-anarchy-actors-for-dogs/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].
  3. Peta. Theo Rossi Brings Love to the Rescue (Rescued Dogs, That Is). Available: https://www.peta.org/features/theo-rossi-adopt-dont-shop-ad/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].
  4. Mazziotta, J. 2021. ‘Sons of Anarchy’ ‘s Theo Rossi Has Been Vegan Since 1997: ‘I’m Not Big on the Whole Food Thing’. People. Available: https://people.com/health/sons-of-anarchy-theo-rossi-has-been-vegan-since-1997/ [Accessed 13 August 2026].

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