Scientology is a controversial religion, to put it mildly. Some major actors like Tom Cruise and Leah Remini have had well-documented histories with the relatively new religion. Let’s look at ten actors you probably didn’t realize were Scientologists.
Marisol Nichols
Marisol Nichols is best known for her roles in Riverdale and 24 and has acted in numerous movies and TV shows. She’s also, surprisingly enough, a Scientologist. She credits Scientology with helping her overcome a traumatic childhood, noting in interviews that she doesn’t think she’d have survived without it.
Erika Christensen
Parenthood star Erika Christensen says she got into Scientology because her parents are part of the religion. They encouraged her to study it, but says they never pressured her to join. Moreover, she’s defended Scientology from claims made in documentaries like Going Clear.
Jason Dohring
Jason Dohring has led an interesting life. He played Logan on Veronica Mars, and, surprisingly enough, founded the popular website Neopets in 1999. He was raised a Scientologist by his father Doug Dohring, who has been in the religion for decades.
Michael Pena
Comedic actor Michael Pena is easily recognizable for his roles in projects like End of Watch and Ant-Man. He’s also a member of the Church of Scientology and says he joined because he was worried that he was drinking too much, and the organization offered a program that helped him get sober.
Elizabeth Moss
Handmaid’s Tale star Elizabeth Moss has been a Scientologist since before she was a household name. She joined the religion as a teenager but hasn’t spoken about it much publicly. In a rare interview discussing her faith, she defended Scientology as a “misunderstood” belief system.
Juliette Lewis
Actor Juliette Lewis, known for her roles in 90s movies like Cape Fear and From Dusk Till Dawn, has stated in interviews that she’s a Scientologist. Notably, her father, Geoffrey Lewis, was affiliated with the organization. While she hasn’t discussed the religion much, she seems to still be practicing.
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi, known for his starring roles in Dads and Sneaky Pete, has spoken bluntly about his faith in Scientology. He notes during interviews that it’s “simple,” and that he believes in the religion because it’s what works for him.
Jenna Elfman
Jenna Elfman, niece-in-law of Danny Elfman, is known for her roles in Dharma & Greg and 1600 Penn. She’s also a known adherent to the views of Scientology, speaking out about her distaste for the negative reputation the religion has these days. She has stated she thinks that “anything that works tends to get attacked.”
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Nancy Cartwright
The longtime voice actor for Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, is an outspoken Scientologist. In fact, she has been for decades now. She recently spoke out about the book Going Clear, which depicts the religion in a bad light. Cartwright characterized the controversy surrounding Scientology as “prejudice” in recent interviews.
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John Travolta
Ok, so this one won’t exactly come as a surprise to most. John Travolta, of Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction fame, is one of the biggest names still involved with Scientology. There were rumors around 2009 that the actor was considering leaving the organization, but, as of the time of this writing, he appears to still be involved with them to this day.
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