‘That’ll do pig. That’ll do’: James Cromwell names ‘saved’ piglet who fell off meat truck after Babe character

‘This sweet little guy is NOT Easter dinner,’ said the ‘Succession’ star

Succession star James Cromwell has helped “save” a piglet who fell off a meat truck.

The 83-year-old, who plays Logan Roy’s brother Ewan in the HBO series, is known for taking part in high-profile protests about the mistreatment of animals.

Cromwell first went vegetarian in 1974, then became vegan in 1995 after playing Farmer Hoggett in the film Babe.

On Friday (7 April), Cromwell met a piglet who had been rescued by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which claimed the animal fell off a truck as he was being taken to be fattened for slaughter.

The animal was found scraped, bruised and covered in mud, and was named Babe by Cromwell in honour of the film that inspired him to go vegan.

In a statement shared with Peta, Cromwell said: “Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing pigs’ intelligence and inquisitive personalities while filming the movie Babe changed my life and my way of eating, and so I jumped at the chance to save this real-life Babe.

“Every pig deserves to live in peace and joy at a sanctuary, choosing when to frolic, where to forage, and how to spend their time, yet few do.”

Cromwell also shared a clip to social media of him meeting Babe over Zoom, telling the piglet: “Hello there, little man. I understand your name is Babe. I knew a pig named Babe. What a smart little pig she was. Bet you are too.

“I hear you’re rather an extraordinary pig… So you jumped off a truck so you wouldn’t be Easter’s dinner. What a great thing to do. Nobody should have any animal for dinner. ‘Invite the animals to dinner,’ that’s what I say.”

“This sweet little guy is NOT Easter dinner,” he captioned the post. “He jumped off a transport truck and will now be traveling to an animal sanctuary to live a peaceful life. That’ll do pig. That’ll do. ⁦⁦@peta⁩.”

In the coming weeks, Cromwell will help transfer Babe to a local animal sanctuary.

In Succession, Cromwell’s character Ewan decides to give the entirety of his grandson Greg’s (Nicholas Braun) inheritance to Greenpeace.

Cromwell has long been an activist for animal rights and has also been known to lead anti-capitalist sit-ins. Last month, he admitted to “losing track” of the number of times he’s been arrested.

Speaking to The Independent in 2022, Cromwell said: “Laws against legitimate, constitutionally guaranteed protests in this country are becoming more and more prevalent, and they are doing it not to stifle the right but the radical left.

“I can’t say I’m a revolutionary because that would mean total commitment. But I’m on the cusp, and my time will come when my voice is required again and my presence will make a difference.”