Joaquin Phoenix has come out of hiding in the hopes of saving exotic animals from becoming high-end accessories.

The animal-loving actor has teamed up with PETA to film a graphic on-camera video, showing how reptiles like snakes, alligators and crocodiles are hunted, raised and killed for their skins.

A PETA rep tells X17online exclusively about how Joaquin got involved with the project:

    "We reached out to Joaquin knowing he's vegan and incredibly sympathetic to all issues involving animals. He was the ultimate professional on the set, very moved by the project and upset by the footage. Before leaving, he went through and thanked each of the crew members. He’s a good, kind man—as nice as they come."


To read more about the cause, you can visit PETA's website at peta.org.