Humor can be a powerful tool to promote change – and vegan actress and musician Kate Nash knows how to wield it to hilarious effect. We’re thrilled to welcome Kate for a discussion about her recent film, Coffee Wars, which manages to deliver a powerful pro-animal message while, at the same time, making everyone laugh. As we all know, that’s not that easy to do.  In our conversation, Kate introduces us to her character Jo, who owns a vegan coffee house, and explains how the film uses the snobbery that surrounds that particularly favored caffeinated brew as a central joke to encourage viewers to think about what they are putting in their coffee and in their mouths. Plus, Kate tells us about how she first learned about the cruel treatment of animals trapped in agriculture and how that realization changed her life in unexpected ways.

*We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read Mariann’s interview with Kate Nash*

Kate Nash studied at the BRIT School before launching her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single “Foundations” became a sleeper hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, Made of Bricks, peaked at #1 in the UK. Kate subsequently won the award for Best British Female Artist at the 2008 Brit Awards. Aside from music, Kate has acted in various films and TV series. Most notably, she starred in the 2012 film Greetings from Tim Buckley, as well as the 2013 films Powder Room and Syrup. Kate was part of the cast of the acclaimed Netflix series GLOW, where she portrayed Rhonda “Britannica” Richardson for its entire three season run. She is a supporter of the LGBTQ community and has a large LGBTQ following, and has described her 2010 song “I’ve Got a Secret” as “an anti-homophobic rant.” She is a vocal feminist and campaigns to fight gender inequality within, and beyond, the music industry. In 2013, she became the Global Ambassador for Because I Am a Girl and partnered with them for her own campaign, Protect a Girl.

For her role as Jo in Coffee Wars, Kate was awarded the Rising Star Award at the Maui Film Festival. Kate is a vegan and extremely committed to creating positive change in the world.

“I hope people watch Coffee Wars, and then when they go to a coffee shop, they say, ‘Maybe I’ll get an oat milk latte.’” — Kate Nash

Highlights for Episode 691: 

• Kate shares details about Coffee Wars, her character Jo, and why Jo’s veganism is an integral part of the story
• Why the filmmakers wanted to use humor to share the critical message behind the film
• The measures taken to ensure that the film set was vegan and cruelty-free
• Kate’s personal journey to vegetarianism and then to veganism
• Why people have such a disconnect between their love of animals and eating meat
• Some of the fantastic vegan food options available in London, where Kate now lives, and in Bogota, Colombia, where they filmed part of Coffee Wars
• What’s next for Kate, including performing at festivals over the summer

Connect with Kate Nash:

• Coffee Wars Website
• Coffee Wars on Instagram
• Coffee Wars on Facebook
• Kate Nash’s Website

Connect with Our Hen House:

• Our Hen House Website
• Our Hen House on Facebook
• Our Hen House on Instagram
• Our Hen House on Twitter

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Don’t forget to check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.