WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
All Heart, No Meat
Billed as “the spiritual successor to Flight of the Concords”, Kiwi comedy web series Immi the Vegan is an insightful and heartfelt ode to all things love, life and veganism. A wonderful soundtrack comes courtesy of show co-writer and producer Immi Paterson who knows a thing or two about penning catchy numbers having fronted the band George and Queen during the mid-2000s. Taking on the eponymous lead of the online show was, however, Immi’s first stint at acting, not that you’d ever know. Verve sat down with her for a cup of tea on K’ Road (where much of the show was filmed) to find out more.
Was there a specific incident that turned you towards veganism? “It was gradual having first became vegetarian when I was 10 years old. I had always been aware of the relationship between humans and animals, and it was something that I’d always thought about, but when I found a vein in my steak mince pie, that was it.” Immi describes herself as an “anxious, perfectionist” child, who could be “hard on herself and others”, foibles, she jokes, that she has passed on to her 11-year-old son, Melvin (who also has a small cameo in one episode). “He likes a lot of the show, but not the crass parts,” giggles Immi. “He disapproves of the dick jokes!” Did you raise him to be vegan? “Absolutely. But rather than show him the horror side of things, like what goes on in factory farming, I always showed him the positive side of veganism, like taking him to animal sanctuaries.”
WORD S — JAM IE C H RI STIAN D ES P L AC ES
Immi, who grew up in Dunedin, says her parents were always supportive of her meat-free life, though her dad especially thought veganism was phase she would likely grow out of. Until, that is, she converted him too.
