Alongside her family, Julia Roberts regularly worships at a Hindu temple. When asked about her faith in a 2011 interview with People, she said she was “definitely a practicing Hindu” and has also said that "opting for Hinduism is not a religious gimmick."
Of Hindi, Julia Roberts has said in an interview with The Hindu, Roberts said,"It is similar to Patsy of 'Razor's Edge' by Somerset Maugham. We share a common aspect of finding peace and tranquility of mind in Hinduism, one of the oldest and respected religions of civilization."
Tim Tebow is a devout Christian and has even decided to save himself for the right woman – only after being married. Years ago, he became famous for a posture called “Tebowing,” but many don’t know that it was him repeatedly praying during football games!
Tim Tebow, who recently left the NFL, accounts in his book, “This Is The Day” that his move away NFL career was “a come-to-Jesus moment.” Tebow saw the moment as a turning point in his life. Even in college, Jesus has always played a huge part in his life, where he wore apparel with the scripture "John 3:16."
Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt has spoken on several occasions about the importance of spirituality in his life. After he and wife Anna Faris brought their first child into the world, Pratt began to turn to prayer. “It restored my faith in God,” he said, adding, “not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it.”
Of course, Chris Pratt has since then been remarried, now to Katherine Schwarzenegger. On an Instagram post, featuring his fiancee and her engagement ring, Pratt wrote "Proud to live boldly in faith with you." And after getting married, he said in another post, "We became husband and wife in front of God, our families and those we love" and that "We feel so blessed to begin this new chapter of our lives," showing that faith is a huge part of their lives.
Ivanka Trump was raised in the Presbyterian Christian faith but converted to Orthodox Judaism in 2009 when she married her husband, Jared Kushner. At first, their differences in faith was a point of contention, causing them to break up initially for their families.
In response to her conversion, Vicky ward, author of Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, she writes that Donald Trump was "baffled by his daughter’s conversion" and that he was "reluctant" to accept it.
When he was 19, Orlando Bloom joined the Soka Gakkai school of Buddhism. “It’s about studying what is going on in my daily life and using that as fuel to go and live a bigger life,” Bloom said in a 2007 interview.
Now a father, Orlando Bloom is using Buddhism to raise his daughter. The child he shares with Katy Perry is their first together. Bloom uses Buddhist chants to help soothe her. Whatever works!
Michael Jackson may not have fit the bill of a stereotypical Jehovah's Witness adherent, but that doesn't mean he wasn't serious about his religion. In fact, he took his faith so seriously that he included a title card in the music video for his hit song, Thriller, that said, "Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult."
That's not the only way he expressed his faith, though. Even though he was reaching celebrity status, Jackson continued to proselytize for the church door to door well into the 1980s! However, when fame got to be too much, the church no longer played a part in his life, saying“When circumstances made it increasingly complex for me to attend, I was comforted by the belief that God exists in my heart, and in music and in beauty.
Denzel Washington has had many roles which may suggest otherwise, but the actor is very serious about his Christian faith. In a 2012 interview with GQ magazine, he said that he reads his Bible daily.
In the past, Denzel Washington has even gone as far as to suggest that preaching may be his true calling. In 1999, in Parade magazine, Washington said, "I've had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I've been given seriously, and I want to use it for good."
After his cheating scandal, Tiger Woods turned to Buddhism. He said it helped him put his life back together after his marital infidelity tore apart his life. Now, he says that Buddhism has helped him stop following every impulse and learn restraint.
Unlike many celebrities who discovered it, Tiger Woods had actually been raised as a Buddhist. According to Woods, his mother had taught him at a young age and "actively practiced [his] faith from childhood until [he] drifted away from it in recent years."
Kris Jenner may not have been religious her entire life, but she turned to Christianity after her Kim Kardashian’s (her daughter) adult tape released to the public. She said after it released, she cried for a couple of days, but it helped her find her faith. Now, she says she hardly drinks and goes to church on Sundays.
Kris Jenner felt especially religious as her former husband, Caitlyn Jenner, underwent gender reassignment surgery. Unknowing how to cope with the transition, she said that "Prayer. God. You know, just trying to understand" helped her get through it.
Michael Douglas strengthened his ties to his Jewish heritage as an adult, writing a column speaking out against anti-Semitism after his son was bullied through the use of offensive cultural slurs.
Michael Douglas's father Kirk was also Jewish but his mother was not. He, nevertheless, identified as Jewish and was even met with anti-Semitic remarks in high school, similar to what his son would experience. And while he identified as Jewish, he has said that growing up, he "never felt accepted" as a Jew.
Karlie Kloss and Ivanka Trump have a few things in common: they’re about to be in-laws, and they both converted from Christianity to Judaism for their husbands. Karlie Kloss made the switch back in 2018, shortly before she got engaged to Joshua Kushner.
Kushner's family would not even meet with Karlie Kloss until after she converted to Judaism. In describing why she converted, Kloss said, "This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman. It was only after many years of studying and talking with my family and friends and soul searching that I made the decision to fully embrace Judaism in my life and start planning for a future with the man I chose to marry.”
In 1997, Chris Tucker became a born-again Christian. When he was pulled over for speeding in 2005, he apologized to the police officer who stopped him, saying that he was late to church.
Chris Tucker has turned down a number of roles since becoming a born-again Christian, including roles in Black Knight, Django Unchained, and Any Given Sunday, due to the objectionable content.
Not only did Prince become a Jehovah’s Witness in 2001, but he also went door-to-door professing his religious beliefs. As he told The New Yorker in 2008, “Sometimes people act surprised, but mostly they’re really cool about it.”
Prince has been converted by a friend Prince Larry Graham, who was a bassist for Sly & The Family Stone. In an interview in 2008 for The New Yorker, Prince said, "The more [Larry] said, the more I realized the truth."
Kristin Chenoweth is not shy about her faith and has publicly self-described as "a non-judgmental liberal Christian." In addition to speaking about her relationship with Christianity, Chenoweth has also released an album of Christian music titled As I Am.
In describing her beliefs, Chenoweth has said, “It’s been an interesting journey being in show business and being a Christian...I'm an LGBTQ activist, and sometimes that doesn't always go together, you know.”
While she was not particularly vocal about her conversion to Judaism in the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe was nonetheless a devout follower. While her change of heart may have had something to do with marrying a Jewish man, Monroe's rabbi at the time publicly wrote that the actress had a sincere desire to learn more about her newfound Jewish faith.
Her conversion to Judaism happened just before marrying Arthur Miller in 1956. About her conversion, she said, “I can identify with the Jews....Everybody’s out to get them, no matter what they do, like me.”
Though Ja Rule's lyrics are often directly connected to violence and drug use, he is a devout Christian. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, the rapper was baptized in 2013 after rediscovering his faith while working on I’m In Love With a Church Girl.
Ja Rule told New York radio station Power 105.1, “I kind of reconnected with God by doing the … movie...I reconnected with God in a different way. I was going to all these different churches, … (and they) were great, but I didn’t feel like they were talking to me until I went to Hillsong right here in the city.”
When Wahlberg was younger, he got into quite a bit of trouble and was involved in drugs. He was incarcerated and was tried as an adult at the age of 16 for attempted murder. That was when he got his big wake-up call that it was time to find faith. Wahlberg said he started praying right away.
In an interview with Parade Magazine, Mark Wahlberg made it clear that his Irish-Catholic upbringing had a huge impact on him. While he says he would never try to push Catholicism on anyone else, he doesn't hesitate to say that "it's the most important part of my life."
Richard Gere had his first introduction to Buddhist dharma when he was in his early 20s. He said he read books on Tibetan Buddhism that had a massive impact on him. He isn’t shy about his faith and even has pictures of himself with the Dalai Lama! Now, he’s a fervent spokesperson for the people of Tibet and has been practicing Buddhism ever since.
When discovering Tibetan Buddhism, Gere read books from Evans-Wentz. He told the Shambhala Sun, "They had all the romance of a good novel, so you could really bury yourself in them, but at the same time, they offered the possibility that you could live here and be free at the same time. "
Stephen Baldwin grew up Catholic but, as he states, “it didn’t stick.” However, the way his wife and housekeeper felt about their faith encouraged him to become religious again – that and September 11th. He was baptized a month after 9/11. He’s still incredibly religious and encourages people to become spiritual, as well. Still, he feels as though his strong faith has had a negative impact on his career.
When speaking at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Youth Evangelism Conference, Baldwin said, "I’m just doing what the Lord’s telling me to do. You know, if the Lord’s not telling anybody else [in Hollywood] to [talk publicly about their faith], well, then God bless ’em. But I don’t think that’s the case. I think there are a lot of people who don’t put their faith before everything else, you know. And that’s a big problem. I’m just doing what the Lord’s calling me to do. Period.”
Dave Chappelle has been a practicing Muslim for much of his life, even going on a religious journey to Africa in 2005. In an interview with Time, Chappelle said, “I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing.”
Dave Chappelle told David Letterman, "I wanted to have a meaningful life, a spiritual life, not just what my hands can hold....I felt like I've always had this notion that life should mean something.”
Born Neta-Lee Hershlag in Jerusalem, Natalie Portman had a Jewish upbringing in Long Island, New York. The actress has joked that some roles come to her based on her Jewish heritage.
While Natalie Portman does not talk about religion much publicly, it's worth noting that her husband converted to Judaism and that they are living in her native country of Israel.
While he may be most recognizable as Dwight Schrute from The Office, actor Rainn Wilson is also known by some for his participation in the Baha'i faith. While he left the religion in his early 20s, Wilson eventually returned to his Baha'i roots 10 years later.
About his religion, Wilson has said, “Basically, if I know my meaning of life and my purpose, to know and worship God, and if to know and worship God is that very multi-colored, multi-faceted and multi-variegated kind of exploration of what it is to be a human being—to be kind, to serve, to create beauty, to bring together, to love and appreciate nature—that’s all part of it.”
Ice Cube converted to Islam in the 1990s and has been serious about his faith ever since. During an interview, he stated that he called himself a “natural Muslim” because it was just him and god. He didn’t go to the mosque either for ritual or tradition because it just isn’t in him to do so. That being said, he does adhere to the doctrine to guide him in life.
Whether he attends the mosque now or is still Muslim is not quite clear. For the most part, ice Cube seems to keep his religious beliefs to himself.
Tina Turner has been a long-time Buddhist – stretching back as far as the 70s! It was her way of coping through the abusive relationship she’d had with Ike Turner. In 2011, she said that the religion makes it feel as though chanting has “opened a door inside of me.” The doctrine has made her happier than she’s ever been, especially when it comes to materialism.
Tina Turner was raised as a Baptist but considered herself a Buddhist-Baptist who adhered to Soka Gakkai, which is part of Nichiren Buddhism. She came to discover while learning about Buddhism that they are really the same religion but with different words.
(Image via Facebook)
Tom Cruise isn’t the only one drinking the Kool-Aid. John Travolta is also a devout member of Scientology. It has given him stability and tools to handle life’s issues, stresses, and problems. Recently, there appears to be trouble in paradise as Tom Cruise and John Travolta fight over the Scientology hierarchy.
However, recently it is being rumored that Travolta is breaking away from Scientology because of the death of his wife, Kelly Preston, since the church is opposed to scientific cancer treatments.
Oprah has always been upfront about her faith and religion. In 2015, Oprah went to Stanford University to speak on spiritual practice. During her LifeClass series, she encourages people to get in touch with spirituality. During the same talk, she says it isn’t required that people convert to Christianity. She states, “I have respect for all things."
On the celebrity news show "Extra" Oprah said, "I think what people are missing is a core moral center...Churches used to do that. …It was a central place you could come to, and there was a core center of values about a way of living and a way of being in the world."
One of the most surprising on this list may be Steven Seagal. Despite his persona of kicking the butt of any bad guy that steps out of line, Steven Seagal is a believer in the peaceful Buddhist doctrine. He said that the teachings helped him through hardships, dilemmas, and poisons we face in modern-day society.
According to some sources, Steven Seagal is aiming to restore Europe’s first Buddhist temple in Belgrade. The temple was constructed in December 1929 by political refugees from Buddhist Kalmykia in Russia.
Madonna was raised in a Roman Catholic household, but she was famously known for converting to Kabbalah, an offshoot of Judaism, in 1996. She’s even been known to dilute her children’s orange juice with blessed Kabbalah water and wears white clothes to attract positive energy. Madonna also studies regularly with a personal rabbi and no longer has concerts on a Friday night for religious reasons.
In recent years, Madonna has expressed that she does not really identify as Jewish or any specific religion. She said, "No, I don't affiliate myself with any specific religious group. I connect to different ritualistic aspects of different belief systems, and I see the connecting thread between all religious beliefs."
David Oyelowo is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, but what you may not know is that Christianity profoundly influenced his portrayal. Due to his religion, he said he felt God flowing through him when he saw Dr. King’s speeches. Even with his busy schedule, he still finds time to pray. He states, “wherever I’m shooting, I will find a church.”
For Oyelowo, Christianity gives him direction. He told Premier Christianity magazine, "Over the last three years, I have lost both of my parents – my dad within the last month, in fact – and those tend to be the experiences that test your faith. I have often found that they have brought me closer to the Lord and revealed more about how much I have indeed built my life on the rock that is Jesus Christ."
Stephen Colbert may not seem like the type, but he’s incredibly religious. In fact, he’s gotten into debates on his show with those that aren’t so religious, usually comedian Ricky Gervais. Colbert has also talked about his faith with the New York Times and NPR. Some sources even say that he teaches Sunday school!
However, like most people, Colbert had struggled with his faith growing up, saying, “I had lost my faith in God, to my own great grief..I was sort of convinced that I had been wrong all this time, that I had been taught something that wasn’t true.”
Alice Cooper was a heavy-drinking rock star, but all that changed when he gave up drinking. He found his faith and became a devout Christian. During an interview with CNS news, he stated that he was self-centered, but faith changed that view. He went on to say, “we have to let God be God and us be what we are.”
Cooper told Newsweek back in 2018 that both he and his wife are Christians, and that he had a Christian upbringing, saying, "My father was a pastor, my grandfather was an evangelist. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it—almost died—and then came back to the church."
Kevin Sorbo hasn’t been in the limelight for a while, but that might be because he’s focusing on his faith. He regularly attends a non-denominational church, but he still appears in shows. He even appeared in God’s Not Dead, a Christian film where he portrayed an atheist college professor who required his students to disown their religions on the first day of class.
As a Christian, Sorbo feels he's been ostracized in Hollywood, saying, "You definitely can feel a difference in Hollywood for not being whatever. It’s interesting to do these faith-based movies. There has been a kickback in a negative direction."
Bob Dylan has converted religions a few times throughout his life. He started out Jewish as a child and made the change to Christianity in the '70s. After a few years, Dylan stopped putting a label on it, saying he just believed in God.
In Ian Bell's biography, " The Lives of Bob Dylan," Bob Dylan is quoted as saying, "Jesus put his hand on me...It was a physical thing. I felt it. I felt it all over me. I felt my whole body tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up.”
Gary Busey wasn’t always religious—at least until he almost died twice. In 1988, Busey was in a motorcycle accident that left him with permanent brain damage, and he also overdosed in 1995. Those two near-death experiences strengthened Busey’s faith.
After the accident, on the operating table, Busey claimed to see angels. And he clarified that they "don't look like what they look like on Christmas cards." In 1996, Busey announced, "I am proud to tell Hollywood I am a Christian. For the first time, I am now free to be myself."
You’d recognize Mayim Bialik best from her recurring role in The Big Bang Theory. She plays a genius scientist in the show but also has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in real life. Bialik minored in Hebrew and Jewish studies for her UCLA degree and embraces traditional Jewish values in her everyday life.
When asked if she has ever faced anti-Semitism, Bialik told Greenwich's Temple Sholom, "Even though I tend to be a bleeding heart liberal and do support rights for Palestinians and support a safe and protected Israel, the fact that I believe in Israel existing has led to death threats."
Mike Tyson had a hard childhood growing up and didn’t believe in any particular religion. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and converted to Islam while serving his time in prison. Since then, he’s been a dedicated follower of the religion.
Mike Tyson has been quoted as saying, "I'm very grateful to be a Muslim. Allah doesn't need me, I need Allah." He told Fox News, "I could never be humble. There's not a humble bone in my body. If I was humble I would never use the word humble, I strive to be humble, I want to be humble, but it's a hard thing. It's a very hard thing. To be humble is to not take yourself seriously. I try to do that. I work on it. People think I'm humble, but I'm not."
Drew Barrymore has had interesting views on religion. She’s been quoted saying, “people are fields of energy” and can be positive or negative influences. However, since then, she married Will Kopelman—a practicing Jew— in a traditional Jewish ceremony and has converted to Judaism.
About her family, Drew Barrymore has said of her husband, “He’s a nice Jewish man from a nice Jewish family...I’m a shiksa. I do the seders, and we do Passover.”
Snoop Dogg has changed religions so many times it can be hard to keep them straight. Snoop was raised Baptist and grew up playing the piano in his local church. In 2009, he converted to Islam, then converted to Rastafarianism after a trip to Jamaica in 2012. Finally, he converted back to Christianity while promoting a gospel album in 2017.
Snoop Dogg told TV One, "The devil is a liar. I thought church was supposed to welcome sinners." Snoop added that "If you find someone trying to find their way back home, the natural thing would be to accept him with open arms. We not gonna throw stones while you trying to get right and walking back into the church house.”
You may know Elizabeth Taylor best for her extensive acting, fashion, and modeling history. However, you might not know that she was raised as a Christian Scientist by her parents but converted to Judaism in 1959. Two of her husbands were Jewish, but Taylor stated that she made the switch for herself because she deeply identified with the religion.
Although there is a misconception that she converted for a man, she actually converted while not married, and a year before she would get married again. She had a Jewish burial after she died in 2011.
Shia LaBeouf’s mother is Jewish, and his father is Christian, so it’s not surprising he struggled with his religious identity In 2004, he wrote an essay about how he is Jewish and found comfort in that religion. However, in 2007 he converted to Christianity after filming the movie Fury.
LeBeouf has said that he found God during Fury - which he described as “a full-blown exchange of heart, a surrender of control.” He also credits actor Brad Pitt and director David Ayers with his decision to convert, but what role they played exactly is difficult to say.
