Jeff Goldblum says his latest role has inspired a major lifestyle shift.
The actor, who returns as the Wizard of Oz in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good, shared during an appearance on This Morning that the film’s message pushed him to stop eating meat.
At 73, he reflected on how meaningful it feels to take on such a powerful character at this stage in his career.
“It’s uncommon that you get to be doing this over a period of time and get more fertile and juicy and interesting and relevant roles for yourself at this period of time,” Goldblum said.
He praised director Jon M. Chu, calling the experience of working with him “amazing.”
Goldblum added that conversations around animal cruelty during filming had a lasting impact.
“It’s changed me. You know, after doing this movie, we talked about the animal cruelty, I stopped eating meat and poultry,” he explained.
He went on to say, “We need the world to work for everybody on Earth and every creature, too.”
Goldblum first portrayed the Wizard in 2024’s Wicked and will reprise the role when Wicked: For Good arrives Nov. 21.
He stars alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
The first film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, winning for costume design and production design.
Its sequel is expected to follow suit, with early buzz predicting another round of 10 nominations, including possible repeat acting nods for Erivo and Grande.
If both are recognized again, they would become only the seventh and eighth performers ever to be nominated twice for the same role.
For Goldblum, however, the project’s biggest legacy may be how it influenced him personally, from celebrating a late-career role to embracing a vegetarian lifestyle inspired by its themes.
