Inside ScientologyCreated by American science fiction novelist L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, often called a cult, Scientology is one of the most fascinating and controversial religions of the modern age.
Scientologists are notoriously recruited from celebrity ranks and those of up-and-coming actors and actresses. There are many celebrity Scientologists who might surprise you. Do you think you know of all the celebs that belong to the Church of Scientology?
Famous Scientologists include Hollywood movie stars like Elisabeth Moss, but also musical performers like Beck. There a plenty of actors and actresses who are known Scientologists. Are there athletes who are Scientologists? San Francisco 49er quarterback John Brodie was a practicing member for years, and even became a spokesperson at one point. He later left though, making him one of a handful of former celebrity Scientologists.
Other notable Scientologist celebrities include popular actresses, Juliette Lewis and Laura Prepon. Many of the people on the list are big, household names that you will instantly recognize. If you've ever wondered - What celebrities are Scientologists? - then you're going to want to bookmark this page.
This list of Scientologists features famous Scientologists who are current practicing members or who died as members of the Church of Scientology. There are also a few who are no longer active in the Church, but were at one time spokespeople.
Tom Cruise is still very involved with the Church of Scientology since joining in the late 1980s through his first wife, Mimi Rogers. His relationship to the church has directly affected his relationships with Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes.
Thomas Cruise (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. He has received several accolades for his work, including three Golden Globe Awards and nominations for three Academy Awards. Cruise is one of the best-paid actors in the world, and his films have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $10.1 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time.Cruise began acting in the early 1980s and made his breakthrough with leading roles in the comedy Risky Business (1983) and the action drama Top Gun (1986). Critical acclaim came with his roles in the dramas The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). For portraying Ron Kovic in the latter, he won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. As a leading Hollywood star in the 1990s, Cruise starred in several commercially successful films, including the drama A Few Good Men (1992), the thriller The Firm (1993), the horror film Interview with the Vampire (1994), and the romance Jerry Maguire (1996), for which he won another Golden Globe and received his second Oscar nomination. His performance as a motivational speaker in the 1999 drama Magnolia earned him a third Golden Globe and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. As an action star, Cruise has played Ethan Hunt in six films of the Mission: Impossible film series from 1996 to 2018. He also continued to feature in several science fiction and action films, including Vanilla Sky (2001), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Knight and Day (2010), Jack Reacher (2012), Oblivion (2013), and Edge of Tomorrow (2014).
Cruise has been married to actresses Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes. He has three children, two of whom were adopted during his marriage to Kidman and the other of whom is a biological daughter he had with Holmes. Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology and its associated social programs, and credits it with helping him overcome dyslexia. In the 2000s, he sparked controversy with his Church-affiliated criticisms of psychiatry and anti-depressant drugs, his efforts to promote Scientology as a religion in Europe, and a leaked video interview of him promoting Scientology.
Elisabeth Moss is a Scientologist, and has defended her faith in interviews. Many compared her role in The Handmaid's Tale to her relationship with the church. "Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding the truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me," she responded.
Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor and producer. She has received numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Her extensive television work led Vulture to name her the "Queen of Peak TV". Moss began acting in the early 1990s and first gained recognition for playing Zoey Bartlet, the youngest daughter of President Josiah Bartlet, in the NBC political drama series The West Wing (1999–2006). Wider recognition came for playing Peggy Olson, a secretary-turned-copywriter, in the AMC period drama series Mad Men (2007–2015). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series for producing and starring in the Hulu dystopian drama series The Handmaid's Tale. In film, Moss had supporting roles in Girl, Interrupted (1999), Get Him to the Greek (2010), and Us (2019); and starring roles in The One I Love (2014), The Square (2017), and The Invisible Man (2020).
Cheers actress Kirstie Alley joined Scientology to kick a cocaine addiction. She appears to still be active in the faith today, sharing L. Ron Hubbard quotes on Twitter.
Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress and spokesmodel. She first achieved recognition in 1982, playing Saavik in the science fiction film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Alley played Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), receiving an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991 for the role. From 1997–2000, she starred in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Alley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995. Alley has appeared in several movies, including Shoot to Kill (1988), Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels (1990–93), Village of the Damned, It Takes Two (both 1995), Deconstructing Harry, and For Richer or Poorer (both 1997). In 2005, she played a fictionalized version of herself on Showtime's Fat Actress. She later appeared on the reality show Kirstie Alley's Big Life (2010), and in 2013, she returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie.
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, film producer, dancer, and singer. Travolta rose to fame during the 1970s, appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978). His acting career declined through the 1980s, but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and he has since starred in films such as Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Face/Off (1997), Swordfish (2001), Be Cool (2005), Wild Hogs (2007), Hairspray (2007), Bolt (2008) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009).
Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for performances in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. He won his first and only Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty and has received a total of six nominations, the most recent being in 2011. In 2010, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. In 2016, Travolta received his first Primetime Emmy Award, as a producer of the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson. He also received an additional Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of lawyer Robert Shapiro in the series.
Laura Prepon is very vocal about her involvement with Scientology, and even credits it with helping her acting skills. "I feel a lot of the auditing that I’ve had helps me to be willing to go there and be free and vulnerable and really jump into these scenes wholeheartedly," she said.
Laura Helene Prepon hedonist (born March 7, 1980) is an American actress, director and author. She rose to fame with her role as Donna Pinciotti in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2006). She is also known for her portrayal of Alex Vause in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). Prepon made her film debut in 2001 with the independent drama Southlander. Her other films include the romantic drama Come Early Morning (2006), the comedy Lay the Favorite (2012), the thriller The Girl on the Train (2016), and the drama The Hero (2017).
Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, photographer, producer, skateboarder, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his roles as Earl Hickey in the television comedy series My Name Is Earl, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV series in 2005 and 2006 by The Golden Globes, David Seville in the live action/CGI Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the voice of Syndrome in The Incredibles. He is also known for his roles in Kevin Smith films such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, and Cop Out, and has had starred in Almost Famous, Heartbreakers, Stealing Harvard, A Guy Thing, Monster House and Underdog. A former professional skateboarder, Lee is the co-founder and co-owner of Stereo Skateboards, a company that manufactures and distributes skateboard decks, equipment and apparel.
