Scientology and celebrities explained

The Church of Scientology has recruited celebrities for their endorsement of Scientology as a public relations strategy. The organization has had a written program governing celebrity recruitment since at least 1955, when L. Ron Hubbard created "Project Celebrity", offering rewards to Scientologists who recruited targeted celebrities. Early interested parties included former silent-screen star Gloria Swanson and jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. The Scientology organization has a particular interest in international focus on wealthy businesspeople and influencers to help promote its ideals. A Scientology policy letter of 1976 states that "rehabilitation of celebrities who are just beyond or just approaching their prime" enables the "rapid dissemination" of Scientology.

Hubbard's views on celebrities

The Church of Scientology has a long history of seeking out artists, musicians, writers and actors, and advertises that Scientology can help them in their lives and careers. According to religious historian Carole M. Cusack, "L. Ron Hubbard was fascinated by Hollywood, and actively pursued "stars" by promoting the Church of Scientology among the rich and famous. That celebrities joined the Church became a powerful draw card for Scientology, in that it rendered membership desirable." According to Mike Rinder, Hubbard frequently name-dropped, "claiming association and interaction especially with Hollywood figures", soon envisioning their role as helping him gain publicity and acceptance, ultimately making up a list of celebrities to target for recruitment. It was in 1955 when Hubbard started Project Celebrity in order to recruit people he considered "opinion leaders" in the fields of art, sports, management, and government. As Hubbard put it, "Celebrities are very Special people and have a very distinct line of dissemination. They have comm[unication] lines that others do not have and many to get their dissemination through".

Celebrity Centres

Certain Churches of Scientology have been designated as Celebrity Centres, particularly those in cities with a large entertainment industry that attracts artistic hopefuls, such as Hollywood, Nashville, New York City, and Paris. Celebrity Centre policies state that "one of the major purposes of the Celebrity Centre is to expand the number of celebrities in Scientology", with the goal of "broad public into Scientology from celebrity dissemination". Each Celebrity Centre has a division for planning celebrity events and directing general public onto Scientology services as a result of celebrity involvement.

Recruiting celebrities

Scientology actively tries to recruit celebrities and aspiring actors in Hollywood. They have tried such tactics as standing outside the gates of Central Casting passing out flyers offering workshops in finding an agent and how to get ahead in the film industry, advertising in magazines such as Variety, Backstage and The Hollywood Reporter, and displaying posters of film stars saying "I am a Scientologist... come in and find out why". The approach is to promote Scientology as professional development.

Aspiring actors would often be referred to Milton Katselas for acting lessons. Katselas, a Scientologist who kept L. Ron Hubbard's photograph on his desk, ran his Beverly Hills Playhouse with strict Scientology principles, and the acting school was "an unofficial feeder" to Celebrity Centre in the 1990s and 2000s.

Professor of religious studies Hugh Urban spoke about Scientology's appeal to celebrities in an interview:

Scientology isn't the only new religion to seek out celebrities to help promote their movement. Sociologists have posited that emulating celebrities is an important part of an individual's identity formation, explaining the significance of a group having celebrity members. Journalistic and media sources claim that Scientology is "The Church of the Stars" or a "star-studded sect," although there are likely more Hollywood celebrities in other religious traditions. One reason for this is the Celebrity Centres, which are unique to Scientology. Most members in these facilities are not celebrities, however many of the members are part of the entertainment industry.

Expectation to proselytize

Celebrities are pressured to proselytize, and Tom Cruise has been one of the most outspoken. In 2003, Cruise's publicist wanted him to tone down his proselytizing because the movie studios wanted him to "sell movies, not Scientology". After firing his publicist and hiring his sister in the role, Cruise drew public criticism for behavior such as jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch in 2005 and targeting Brooke Shields for taking certain medications. It backfired, and since 2008 Cruise has clammed up about Scientology and has forbidden interviewers from even asking him about Scientology.

Scientology routinely gets their celebrity members to hold seminars and workshops for their peers, pointing out how Scientology had helped them achieve success in the industry, which was used to recruit new members for Scientology.

Special treatment

Their most promising, or highest profile, celebrities would get special treatment from Sea Org members, and might be assigned their own pandering sidekick to attend to them. Any mess-up and the Sea Org member would be punished, sometimes quite harshly.

Notable celebrity members

Members

Former members

The following celebrities have announced at some point that they were no longer members of the Church of Scientology or no longer practiced Scientology.

Notes and References

  1. News: Kirstie Alley: "I'm Not Some F---ing Fake" Scientologist. Us Weekly. 2016-11-11.
  2. News: McGrath. Nick. Anne Archer: My family values. August 10, 2015. The Guardian. July 11, 2014.
  3. Bell Hop . NYLA Magazine . Spring 2005 . Mayar . Zokaei. August 10, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090106014721/http://www.nylamagazine.com/art4.html . January 6, 2009.
  4. News: Ay caramba! Bart Simpson is spruiking Scientology . https://web.archive.org/web/20090509082155/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5609115.ece . dead . May 9, 2009 . Sweeney . Claire . January 29, 2009 . August 10, 2015 . . London.
  5. News: Heckman. Don. Playing in His Key. August 18, 2001. Los Angeles Times. August 10, 2015.
  6. Web site: Erika Christensen Defends Scientology: We Don't Worship Rabbits. The Huffington Post. January 17, 2013. August 10, 2015.
  7. News: Cruise lobbies over Scientology. January 30, 2002.
  8. Web site: Scientology Saved 'Moonlight' Star's Acting Career . . March 7, 2008 . June 28, 2015 .
  9. Web site: Isaac Hayes' History With Scientology. . Roger . Friedman. August 11, 2008. April 22, 2015.
  10. News: Nicole . LaPorte . Stanley Kubrick's Lost Daughter . The Daily Beast. August 26, 2010 .
  11. Julie . Miller . July 29, 2015 . Walking Dead Star's Father Accuses Scientology of "Brainwashing" Her in Damning New Interview . . March 24, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150814160615/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/07/scientology-walking-dead . August 14, 2015 .
  12. News: Scientology and Elisabeth Moss: What the "Mad Men" star isn't talking about in interviews. Anna. Silman. . April 7, 2015. April 7, 2015.
  13. Web site: Leigh. Danny. October 6, 2016. Michael Peña: 'Scientology made me a better actor'. live. The Guardian. October 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201008114345/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/06/michael-pena-war-on-everyone-scientology-interview.
  14. News: Giovanni Ribisi. Now. April 12, 2007. August 10, 2015.
  15. Web site: 19 famous Church of Scientology members. Weisman. Aly. 27 October 2015. Business Insider. May 28, 2016.
  16. Web site: Beck Reveals 'I'm Not a Scientologist' in New Interview . November 22, 2019 . Daniel . Kreps . RollingStone .
  17. Web site: Scientology's First Celebrity Defector Reveals Church Secrets: 'I was Miscavige's favorite boy,' says veteran TV actor Jason Beghe . https://web.archive.org/web/20080420044729/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0815%2Ccelebrity%20denounces%20scientology%2C411801%2C2.html/full . dead . April 20, 2008 . . April 8, 2008 . Ortega . Tony . Tony Ortega.
  18. Web site: The crazy story of how Scientology allegedly once groomed a girlfriend for Tom Cruise — and then tore them apart . April 1, 2015 . Aly . Weisman . . February 11, 2024.
  19. Web site: The Weird Cult: William S. Burroughs and Scientology . David S. . Wills . Beatdom . March 4, 2012.
  20. Wright . Lawrence . Lawrence Wright . The Apostate : Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology . . February 14, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150506223914/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/02/14/the-apostate-lawrence-wright . May 6, 2015.
  21. Web site: Celebrity Scientologists and ex-Scientologists . Elisha . Fieldstadt . CBSNews.com . January 6, 2017 . April 28, 2022.
  22. Web site: Nicole Kidman finally breaks silence on Connor and Bella Cruise . . Jenny . Cooney . 8 November 2018 . 5 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211105191633/https://www.who.com.au/nicole-kidman-truth-connor-cruise-bella-cruise-adopted-kids. live.
  23. Web site: Nicole Kidman on Sex Scenes, Scientology and Saying No to Studios . Merle . Ginsberg . January 16, 2013 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  24. Web site: Jason Lee Reveals He Left the Church of Scientology. Bueno. Antoinette. September 20, 2016. Entertainment Tonight.
  25. News: Juliette Lewis, an 'Imagination Freak Fairy,' Knows Her Worth. Melena. Ryzik. . December 27, 2021. January 15, 2022 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20220115200631/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/arts/television/yellowjackets-juliette-lewis.html . January 15, 2022.
  26. Web site: Slap Chop Pitchman Vince Shlomi Alleges Scientologists Ripped Him off for Millions - CBS News . . March 31, 2009 .
  27. Web site: Laura Prepon on Motherhood, Sharing Her Truth and Her Decision to Leave Scientology . People. Liz. McNeil. August 17, 2021.
  28. Web site: Green . Nicole Glennon and Alex . January 13, 2023 . Lisa Marie Presley: Scientology, trips to Tipperary and a fondness for Murphys . January 13, 2023 . Irish Examiner . en . January 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230113135819/https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41047499.html . live .
  29. [Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology]
  30. Web site: Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers: Marriage Impossible. EW.com. 2023-11-08. What's more, Rogers today claims she is no longer a practicing Scientologist..
  31. News: Parkel . Inga . John Stamos claims he was 'kicked out' of Scientology for being 'too annoying' . 31 August 2024 . . 30 August 2024.
  32. Web site: Jeffrey Tambor Reflects on Scientology, Transgender Issues in His New Memoir . May 16, 2017 . Christina . Schoellkopf . . June 18, 2023.
  33. Web site: Alan . Prendergast . Nightmare on the Net . . . 1997-03-06 . March 21, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080321093457/http://www.westword.com/1997-03-06/news/nightmare-on-the-net/full . dead.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Scientology and celebrities".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.