Myq Kaplan

Myq Kaplan by Tyler Ross, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Myq Kaplan by Tyler Ross, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Myq Kaplan is an American stand-up comedian with a Masters degree in Linguistics. Kaplan’s comedy career began at university when he was voted “funniest student.” His career really started taking off in 2006 and 2007, when he ranked highly in a number of comedy competitions.

In 2009, Kaplan made his debut on The Tonight Show and one year later launched his own comedy special on Comedy Central. The same year he released his first comedy album called Vegan Mind Meld. He has since released seven more comedy albums, appeared in numerous television shows and films, and released five comedy specials.

Why Myq Kaplan is vegan

Myq Kaplan is vegan for the animals.

Kaplan started thinking about veganism during high school when he thought “It would be great if animals didn’t have to be killed in order for me to eat.” But due to a lack of cooking skills and being dependent on his mother to cook meals, it wasn’t until a couple of years after college that he decided it was the right time to make the switch to a more compassionate diet.1Hans, C. 2023. An Interview with Vegan Comedian, Myq Kaplan, by Cherie Hans, VLCE. Main Street Vegan. Available: https://mainstreetvegan.com/an-interview-with-vegan-comedian-myq-kaplan-by-cherie-hans-vlce/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].

Kaplan works veganism into all of his comedy routines as he likes to include subjects that are important to him. One joke is about a restaurant that serves 1000 per cent vegan food where Kaplan doubts this hyperbolic statistic but jokes, “nine animals came back to life… so, checks out.”2Smith, R. 2026. 21 vegan comedians who are rewriting the “humourless vegan” cliché. Vegan Food & Living. Available: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-comedians/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].

“It was a couple years after college that I did read, ask, and learn more about factory farms and how connected the meat and dairy industries are. It felt like once I knew that, I had to do whatever I could to not be a part of it.”3Hans, C. 2023. An Interview with Vegan Comedian, Myq Kaplan, by Cherie Hans, VLCE. Main Street Vegan. Available: https://mainstreetvegan.com/an-interview-with-vegan-comedian-myq-kaplan-by-cherie-hans-vlce/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].

References:

  1. Hans, C. 2023. An Interview with Vegan Comedian, Myq Kaplan, by Cherie Hans, VLCE. Main Street Vegan. Available: https://mainstreetvegan.com/an-interview-with-vegan-comedian-myq-kaplan-by-cherie-hans-vlce/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].
  2. Smith, R. 2026. 21 vegan comedians who are rewriting the “humourless vegan” cliché. Vegan Food & Living. Available: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-comedians/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].
  3. Hans, C. 2023. An Interview with Vegan Comedian, Myq Kaplan, by Cherie Hans, VLCE. Main Street Vegan. Available: https://mainstreetvegan.com/an-interview-with-vegan-comedian-myq-kaplan-by-cherie-hans-vlce/ [Accessed 4 August 2026].

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