Everyone knows that the most commonly practiced religion in Hollywood is the worship of self, even if most celebrities won’t admit it.
There are also plenty of stars who dabble in New Age practices, who call themselves “spiritual but not religious,” and a solid number of famous people who follow Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
And while lukewarm “Christians” are prevalent enough in Tinseltown, when it comes to being a Hollywood A-lister, it’s very unlikely that any will admit to being a full-fledged, church-going, sacrament practicing Catholic. It could be that the celebrity lifestyle doesn’t align with Catholicism. Or, perhaps there’s an invisible barrier preventing Catholics from reaching A-list status. More likely it’s a combination of both.
However, there are a handful of Catholic celebrities who wear their faith loudly and proudly. It may mean that they’re shunned by their peers, but despite that, these famous players have decided that their religion means more than fitting in.
Mark Wahlberg
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Many millennials think of Wahlberg by his former stage name, Marky Mark. Wahlberg has collected plenty of impressive Hollywood accolades including a BAFTA Award, nominations for two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, nine Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Besides just achieving success on the screen, the 52-year-old father of four is also a devout Catholic.
“I attribute everything good and everything positive in life to my faith,” Wahlberg said during a 2023 interview. “As soon as I started putting my faith and focus on God, good things started happening for me.”
“And even when they didn’t, [faith] gives you the coping skills to deal with things that are inevitable, like loss and failure and those things,” he continued. “But, you know, again, my faith and my family, those are the most important aspects of my life.”
In 2022, Wahlberg appeared in “Father Stu,” a movie based on the true story of a boxer who became a Catholic priest. The actor said it was “his calling” and “mission” to get the movie made.
The meditation app Hallow, the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world, launched a partnership with the actor in 2022 as he was promoting the movie. At the time, Wahlberg urged his 18 million social media followers to pray the rosary with him.
“You got to stay prayed up. God bless you,” he said at the time.
Gary Sinise
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Yes, Lieutenant Dan from “Forrest Gump” is also a practicing Catholic in addition to promoting causes that help veterans.
He said he’s found success despite being openly conservative in Hollywood.
“I’ve had a blessed career in the movie and television and theater business,” Sinise said in January 2023. “I’ve done amazing things, I’ve worked with amazing people, and it really played a major role, if not the key element, in what I’m doing today on the service side.”
Sinise discussed his journey to becoming Catholic in 2019. He said he was led to the church by his wife, Moira Harris, who converted herself after being cast in a play. The actor said he surprised his family by choosing to join the church about a decade after his wife.
“I surprised my family. I’d gone through the confirmation classes and whatnot myself behind everybody’s back and I didn’t tell anybody that I was doing it,” he told Catholic News Service.
“On Christmas Eve 2010 I told the family I was taking them to dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse and have Christmas Eve dinner,” Sinise continued. “And on the way there, I pulled into the church, and everybody asked, ‘What are we doing here?’ I said come on in. We walked into the church. The priest was there, and he confirmed me. It was beautiful.”
Jim Caviezel
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The actor who portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson’s massively popular drama, “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) is himself a Catholic. The 55-year-old actor credits his entire career to saying a daily rosary. He also credits his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary with helping him be cast in “The Thin Red Line” (1998), which was the starting point of his career.
While filming “The Passion,” Caviezel is said to have experienced a dislocated shoulder, pneumonia, and hypothermia, among other ailments.
“When I was up there on the Cross, I learned that in His suffering was our redemption. Remember the servant is no greater than the master,” he said while addressing a roomful of college students. “Each of us must carry our own cross. There is a price for our faith, for our freedoms. I have been literally scourged, hit by the whips, crucified, struck by lightning, yes, open heart surgery — that’s what happens after five and a half months of hypothermia.”
He spoke about his faith similarly in 2018. “I never thought that being a Christian would be an easy road, but that my heart, even on a cross in the freezing cold, nothing could stop my burning heart from loving Jesus. It’s important. And I took it as an actor because I want people to see why I am proud to be a Christian,” Caviezel said at the time.
Patricia Heaton
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Actress Patricia Heaton is another mainstream actress who was cast on a hit sitcom despite being conservative, and Catholic to boot. She discussed growing up in a devout family during an interview in 2022 after meeting Pope Francis at the VITAE Summit in the Vatican.
“My sister is a Dominican nun,” she said at the time. “My grandparents met Pope John Paul I. My mom was one of 15 children. I have some 100 first cousins on my mom’s side. So, we’re a very Catholic family. Meeting the Pope is such an incredible honor that I never thought I would have.”
Unlike some of her peers, Heaton said she hasn’t been ostracized for her faith.
“As much as people want to paint Hollywood as a sort of anti-religious place, I have found that going into work, we’re all there to do a job,” Heaton said during the same conversation. “We’re all there to be professional. We all respect each other. We share opinions, different opinions. And because we love each other and we have a common goal of creating something wonderful for people to enjoy, the differences in our religion or politics or whatever, in my experience on a set, have not been a problem.”
Besides sharing bible quotes with her followers, Heaton also openly discusses how she’s pro-life.
“I don’t understand why pro-life people want to know if they are ‘welcome’ to join the democrat party,” the actress shared on X in February 2020. “Why would any civilized person want to support a barbaric platform that champions abortion for any reason through all nine months funded by taxpayers?”
Shia LaBeouf
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One of the newest Catholic converts in the Hollywood community is actor Shia LaBeouf, best known for getting his start on the Disney series “Even Stevens” and later moving into film roles, including the “Transformers” franchise.
Now the celeb is a practicing Catholic as well after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on New Year’s Eve 2023. And he may go even further than that.
His sponsor told Catholic News Agency that the 37-year-old star is also considering becoming a deacon in the future. LaBoeuf credited being cast in the film “Padre Pio” (2022) with influencing his decision to convert after going through turmoil and scandals, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
LaBeouf said he was “never an atheist,” but was previously agnostic. The actor further explained how the role in “Pio” saved his life.