Suzy Amis Cameron (born Susan Elizabeth Amis; January 5, 1962) is an American environmental advocate, and a former actress and
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
. Her acting career began in 1985, known for roles in ''
The Ballad of Little Jo
''The Ballad of Little Jo'' is a 1993 American Western film inspired by the true story of a society woman who tries to escape the stigma of bearing a child out of wedlock by going out to the West, and living disguised as a man. The film stars ...
'', ''
The Usual Suspects
''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, ...
'' and
''Titanic''. Since retiring from acting in 1998, she has advocated
veganism
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
,
sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
, and
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
awareness. She is the co-founder of
MUSE School, an all-vegan primary and secondary education school, and of Cameron Family Farms and Food Forest Organics, a vegan café. She has also organized environmental initiatives to promote
sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion (also known as eco-fashion) is a term describing products, processes, activities, and actors (policymakers, brands, consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal ...
and environment-friendly dieting.
Career
Born in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...
, Amis Cameron worked as a
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
model before she began acting in the 1980s. She made her feature-film debut in the 1985 comedy film ''
Fandango
Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...
''. Amis Cameron next had roles in ''
Rocket Gibraltar
''Rocket Gibraltar'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Burt Lancaster, Suzy Amis, Patricia Clarkson, Frances Conroy, Sinead Cusack, John Glover, Bill Pullman, Kevin Spacey and Macaulay Culkin in his fil ...
'' (1988), ''
Where the Heart Is'' (1990), and ''
Rich in Love'' (1993). In 1993, she appeared as Josephine "Jo" Monaghan in ''
The Ballad of Little Jo
''The Ballad of Little Jo'' is a 1993 American Western film inspired by the true story of a society woman who tries to escape the stigma of bearing a child out of wedlock by going out to the West, and living disguised as a man. The film stars ...
''. She later appeared in ''
Blown Away'' (1994), ''
The Usual Suspects
''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, ...
'' (1995), and the blockbuster ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...
'' (1997), in which she played Lizzy Calvert, the granddaughter of Rose Dawson Calvert (
Gloria Stuart
Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose ...
). That same year, she starred in the Western ''
Last Stand at Saber River
''Last Stand at Saber River'' is a 1997 American Western television film directed by Dick Lowry and starring Tom Selleck, Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, Tracey Needham, David Dukes and Harry Carey Jr. Based on ...
'' and acted in the cult-classic ''
Nadja
Nadja may refer to:
* Nadja (given name)
* Nadja, pen-name of Louisa Nadia Green (1896—1934), British poet
* ''Nadja'' (novel), 1928 surrealist novel by André Breton
* ''Nadja'' (film), 1994 vampire film by Michael Almereyda
* Nadja (band), ...
''. Amis Cameron retired from acting after her last screen appearance in the 1998 film ''
Judgment Day
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
''.
In 2005, Amis Cameron co-founded
MUSE School CA, a
Reggio-inspired, independent, nonprofit school in the
Calabasas, California
Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' "gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains.[Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...]
, with her sister, Rebecca Amis, reported as the country's first
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
K-12
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquir ...
school with a 100%
plant-based lunch program. Additionally, the school is zero waste and 100% solar powered, with Solar Sun Flowers designed by her husband, James Cameron.
In 2009, Amis Cameron founded Red Carpet Green Dress, a global initiative showcasing
sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion (also known as eco-fashion) is a term describing products, processes, activities, and actors (policymakers, brands, consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal ...
on the
red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.
History
The earliest known reference t ...
at the
Oscars
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
. Collaborating with fashion brands such as
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
,
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.
Westwood came to public notice when she ...
, and Reformation, the gowns and tuxedos have included vintage, recycled, repurposed and eco design. Previous campaign ambassadors include
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991 Additional on October 9, 2016) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television projects of the horror and thriller genres, she has received various accolades, including a Young Artis ...
,
Priyanka Bose
Priyanka Bose is an Indian actress and model. Active on stage and in films, she is best known for her role in the Italian film ''Gangor,'' among others. Priyanka started her film career with small roles in '' Love Sex aur Dhokha'', '' Sorry Bha ...
,
Naomie Harris
Naomie Melanie Harris (born 6 September 1976) is a British actress. She started her career when she was a child, appearing in the television series '' Simon and the Witch'' in 1987. She portrayed Selena in the zombie film ''28 Days Later'' (200 ...
,
Olga Kurylenko
Olga Kostyantynivna Kurylenko ( uk, Ольга Костянтинівна Куриленко; born 14 November 1979) is a Ukrainian and French actress and model. She started her acting career in 2005, and first found success as an actress for ...
,
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...
,
Sophie Turner
Sophie Belinda Jonas (née Turner; born 21 February 1996) is an English actress. Turner made her acting debut as Sansa Stark on the HBO epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received a Primetime Emmy ...
, and
Missi Pyle
Missi Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in a number of successful films, including '' Galaxy Quest'' (1999), '' Big Fish'' (2003), ''Bringing Down the House'' (2003), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog ...
.
In 2014, Amis Cameron co-founded, with her husband, director
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
, and Craig McCaw, Plant Power Task Force, an organization focused on showing the impact of animal agriculture on
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and the environment. Plant Power Task Force supported the first multi-country studies on global diets and climate change by the independent U.K.-based think tank, Chatham House: Livestock—Climate Change's Forgotten Sector and Changing Diets, Changing Climate. They also spearheaded the MyPlate MyPlanet initiative in spring 2015, a platform for hundreds of environmental and health organizations in support of linking health and the environment in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
In fall 2018, Amis Cameron published ''OMD: Swap One Meal a Day to Get Healthy, Live Longer, and Save the Planet'', with Simon & Schuster's Atria Publishing Group; in 2019, the paperback edition, ''The OMD Plan: Swap One Meal a Day to Save Your Health and Save the Planet'', was published. The OMD Plan was featured on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday in Fall 2019. The book inspired
Oprah Winfrey to eat one plant-based meal a day.
Amis Cameron also launched the OMD campaign to promote plant-based food solutions to
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
, a multi-pronged effort to transform eating habits and the
food system
The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: grow ...
.
She also is a founder of Cameron Family Farms and Food Forest Organics, a plant-based café and market in New Zealand. Her farm in New Zealand supports
regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, ...
using 500-600 cattle livestock to improve the soil and help
carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in land ...
. In an interview with NZ media the Cameron couple assured the audience that his was merely a pathway for other NZ farmers in their eventual transition, for the planet, to plant based agriculture, without livestock. A vegan diet is, she explained, a healthier choice, despite their use of cattle on their land. A shortage of foreign labour during lockdown was another reason for keeping on the cattle, instead of making the transition to plant based agriculture as she and James Cameron had planned. Amis Cameron later decried that anyone who didn't believe in her views was a 'disposable deplorable' and should not complain when they suffer inevitable pain.
Personal life
In 1986, she married actor
Sam Robards
Samuel Prideaux Robards (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his role as Henry Swinton in the film '' A.I. Artificial Intelligence''.
Early life and education
Robards was born in New York City, the son of actor Jason Rob ...
, her co-star in ''Fandango'', and son of
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...
and
Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...
. Their marriage produced a son, Jasper, before their divorce in 1994.
Amis and
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
met while filming ''Titanic'', but the latter returned to his partner
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton (born September 26, 1956) is an American actress. She played Sarah Connor in the ''Terminator'' film series and Catherine Chandler in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–1990), for which she was nominat ...
and married her in 1997, divorcing two years later with Hamilton receiving a settlement of $50 million. Amis and Cameron married on June 4, 2000. They have two daughters, Claire and Elizabeth, and a son, James Quinn (who is known by his middle name).
In 2020, they became permanent guardians of one of their daughter's teenage friends.
[
In 2012, Amis and Cameron adopted a ]plant-based diet
A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of plant products such as vegetables, fr ...
after watching the film ''Forks Over Knives
''Forks Over Knives'' is a 2011 American advocacy film and documentary that advocates a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet (that excludes all animal products and processed foods) as a way to avoid or reverse several chronic diseases. The film ...
''. They live on an organic farm in Hollister Ranch. They are featured in ''Eating You Alive'', a 2016 American documentary.
Filmography
See also
* List of vegans
Veganism involves following a vegan diet, which is a diet that includes no animal products of any kind. It can extend to ethical veganism which avoids or boycotts all products and activities whose production or undertaking is perceived to ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amis Cameron, Suzy
1962 births
Female models from Oklahoma
20th-century American actresses
American television actresses
Living people
Actresses from Oklahoma City
American film actresses
American veganism activists
James Cameron
Plant-based diet advocates