JANUARY 23, 2020
Warrior to Watch: Evanna Lynch
SERIES 002
Meet our next Warrior to Watch: Irish actress, Vegan activist, The Chickpeeps Podcast
creator and host, and Kinder Beauty Box Co-Founder, Evanna Lynch.
Dear #VEERAHwarriors,
,
This series aims to introduce you to a diverse mix of women across the globe who are making a difference and leaving an indelible mark in their own communities. Which brings us to our next Warrior to Watch, a familiar face you may have seen on the big screen or on television. Who is she?
Meet Evanna Lynch, an Irish actress who rose to fame playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films and grooved her way to finishing third place on Dancing with the Stars’ 27th season. She has also done theatre work, TV series, and other films to further showcase her acting chops. At the tender age of eight, Evanna already found her passion for acting and eventually saw this as an opportunity to use her voice as a public figure. She is a vegan advocate and activist who launched her very own podcast, The Chickpeeps, which kicked off in November 2017. This was an ideal venue for her and her fellow hosts to empower one’s vegan journey and make it more meaningful.
This blonde, bright-eyed stunner also recently started her entrepreneurial venture, co-founding Kinder Beauty Box with fellow actress and activist, Daniella Monet. They created this beauty subscription box for people who want to be conscious and mindful shoppers of cruelty-free beauty products, as well as a way of enjoying the vegan life.
Luckily, we got to know more of Evanna as we caught up with her during her last trip to the Big Apple. Read on as we share this moment with an interview by our Founder and Chief Warrior, Stacey Chang.
SC: People know you as the quirky yet charming Luna Lovegood from
the Harry Potter films, but can you share with us something that
not everyone knows about you?
EL: I am an aerialist, I do aerial silk and hoop. I got offered a film that had it in it so I had to train
for it. But then the film fell through and now I have this cool new hobby. I’m still very new to it and when you first start, it feels completely impossible. Then class after class you get a little bit better.
I now do aerial about five times a week.
SC: We read an essay (“Why the Body Bind is My Nightmare”) that you wrote years ago, which encourages body positivity. How do you continue to overcome these unwanted issues on body image, especially being in the entertainment industry?
EL: That’s the point, it’s just continuous. It’s a relationship. You always have to work on and reevaluate every now and then. I think the body is there for using and it’s hard. I also think that part of it is not overidentifying with your body. I think a lot of people in the body positivity movement make that mistake where they are so focused on trying to love their bodies and trying to reconnect. It will make you obsessive.
I think it’s important to develop other aspects of yourself. For me, it’s important to also focus on my work and my passions and my relationships and just expanding my mind and learning new things.
I see that women are so much more than their minds and bodies. It’s so nice to enjoy
and celebrate our physical beauty but we just can’t reduce ourselves to that because we’re so sensitive, deep, and emotional.
SC: You are the creator of The Chickpeeps Podcast. What inspired you to create it? Also, what a great way to start your second season on World Vegan Day! Where do you get your ideas for topics to discuss?
EL: Our podcast is an ethical vegan podcast. So we always have to explain to people why we don’t believe in using animal products. We always go to the why. I think it’s important not just to tell people “this is how you cook food, etc.” I think it’s about empowering people with information so that they can make a choice as well.
When I see someone in the vegan world who is doing something different and making a fairer point and has that passion to make it their life’s work, I want to know how they do it. When I went vegan, I felt so overwhelmed by the things I didn’t know about and I saw people living the vegan life and planting seeds [to me] like it was normal and I wanted to ask them, “How do you do it.”
And then, I meet people like you, you make shoes out of apples and that’s crazy! I’ve never heard of that before. You make beautiful shoes and you’re showing that vegan isn’t about sacrifice and it isn’t about cutting things out of your life. I wanted to show that side of veganism to people. I want to showcase the lifestyle in a very inspiring and positive light
SC: You also created Kinder Beauty Box to promote an enjoyable vegan life and mindful shopping of cruelty-free beauty products. What is your advice to women who are just starting out or would like to create their own beauty or lifestyle business centered on veganism?
EL: I’m also still figuring that out! It’s hard to start a business of any kind. It’s really important to know what your core vision is and to have your mission statement set in stone because when you open up your business to customers and your numbers grow, people will be telling you what to do or asking for certain things. You can get totally lost in that. You have to realise that you can’t please everyone. If you know your core, then it will be easier to set boundaries.
For us, animals have always been the centre of our core -- animal liberty and compassion to animals is the core of our mission. Beyond that, it’s “attractivism” -- doing activism in an uplifting way wherein you’re trying to make people feel good about themselves.
Follow Evanna’s journey living her best vegan life on social at @msevylynch.
Photos by Eileen Yoon