Being a celebrity, it should come as no surprise that they practice a certain faith. We continue to love all of the celebrities because they serve as inspirations for young people worldwide. Every famous person has their own set of beliefs. Some people decide to maintain their Christian religion, while others decide not to.
The fact that these celebrities would not be included on our list if it weren’t for their faith and assistance in spreading the gospel makes it equally necessary for us to show our admiration for them. The following list contains 10 celebrities who publicly profess their faith.
1. Chris Pratt
Chris didn’t achieve or become renowned overnight with these booming film names. Rae Dawn Chong, an actor, and filmmaker, first noticed him when he was 19 and working as a server at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Maui. She subsequently had cast him in her first feature-length directorial effort, the Los Angeles-shot horror thriller “Cursed Part 3.”
He eventually made the decision to stay in Los Angeles and continue his stardom, landing his first regular television role as Harold Brighton “Bright” Abbott on the show Everwood. Following the show’s cancellation, he soon landed a role on “The O.C.” where he played activist Winchester “Ché” Cook. He also made a cameo in the 2008 action movie “Wanted.”
Chris started as Andy Dwyer on the NBC comedy series “Parks and Recreation” in 2009. Although he was just supposed to be a passing character, the show’s creators were so impressed with him that they wanted him to continue as a regular.
Chris Pratt's Early Life
He described the whole experience of being homeless to The Independent as “pretty awesome,” noting that they just “drank and smoked weed and worked minimal hours, just enough to cover gas, food, and fishing supplies.”
Chris Pratt's Religion
Aside from trying to make ends meets, Chris Pratt spent time in Maui working with the Christian missionary group Jews for Jesus before converting to a non-denominational form of Christianity. In a 2014 interview with Esquire Magazine, he recounted his overall experience.
“This guy came by and was like, ‘What are you doing tonight?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I dunno…’ So he’s like, ‘Will you fornicate tonight?’ I was like, ‘I hope so.’ ‘And drugs and drinking?’ It’s like, ‘Most likely, yeah. Probably all three of those things. I mean, at least two of them, possibly all three,'” he disclosed to the publication how things developed and how he came into contact with the missionary group.
“He was like, ‘I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you’re destined for great things.’ My friends came out, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go with this guy.’ I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days. I was stuffing envelopes for his organization, Jews for Jesus.”
Even so, he spoke to the matter and issued a statement, stating, “It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which ‘hates a certain group of people and is ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens its doors to absolutely everyone,” he continued. “Despite what the Bible says about divorce my church community was there for me every step of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk.”
“They helped me tremendously offering love and support. It is what I have seen them do for others on countless occasions regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender.”
“My faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life, and I am not a spokesman for any church or group of people. My values define who I am. We need less hate in this world, not more,” he added.
“I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man,” he concluded. Nevertheless, Brian Houston of Hillsong has refuted the actor’s membership in his church.
Chris has previously and now made public comments on his faith, one of which was when he received his award at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards. In his statement of gratitude, he remarked: “I would not be here with the ease and grace I have in my heart without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Additionally, he included a religious connotation in several of his Instagram postings. For example, he penned a heartfelt message for his fiancée Katherine Schwarzenegger that read: “Happy Birthday Chief! Your smile lights up the room. I’ve cherished our time together. Thrilled God put you in my life. Thankful for the laughs, kisses, talks, hikes, love and care.♥️🍾🎉🎂”
He posted a cross on Instagram too, with the caption, “Pray, rest, renew the spirit, cast down darkness, choose positivity and trust in the knowledge that you are so loved just the way you are. Not because you’re great. Not because I’m great. Because He is great. ❤️🙏🏻 Like if you believe.”
2. Kanye West
Following the success of his 2004 studio debut, “The College Dropout,” he later established his record company, GOOD Music, later that same year.
In a poll survey conducted by The Rolling Stone in 2013, the top ten best Kanye’s songs are the following: Runaway, Jesus Walks, Gold Digger, Flashing Lights, Power, Devil in a New Dress, Through the Wire, Stronger, Diamonds From Sierra Leone, and All Falls Down.
He recently released his tenth studio album entitled “Donda” in 2021 and it has been categorized as hip hop, gospel, progressive rap, pop, and includes elements of trap and drill. The subjects tackled on the record also include religion.
Kanye West’s Early Life
Kanye West, born Kanye Omari West and has now legally changed his name into just “Ye” was born on June 08, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. Ray West, his father, was a former member of the Black Panther Party and one of the first black photojournalists employed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray converted to Christianity and, with help from his son, built the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland, in 2006.
Both him and his mother relocated to Chicago, Illinois after his parents got divorced when he was still three years old. They later transported in Oak Lawn, Illinois and he attended Polaris School for Individual Education. They relocated again to Nanjing, China, when he was ten years old since she was a Fulbright Scholar and working as a professor at Nanjing University.
At age 13, he composed a rap song called “Green Eggs and Ham,” which is also the name of a best-selling Dr. Seuss children’s book. Following that, he convinced his mother to make a payment for time spent in a recording studio, and Dr. Donda complied as a show of support and encouragement for her son. He later met producer and DJ No I.D., who quickly became his mentor and taught him how to sample and program beats.
Ye quickly came to the conclusion that his demanding class schedule was harmful to his musical efforts, and at the age of 20, he left college to pursue his musical aspirations. Ye decided to call his debut album “College Dropout” as a result.
Kanye West’s Religion
In other interviews, he went into further detail about his faith; one of them was with The Fader in 2008, when he remarked, “I’m like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector. I can’t be responsible. I’m good, but I’m not that good. So my job is just to be in the studio and do videos, and I just stand here and let God do the rest.”
In a separate interview, acquired by Page Six, he added: “I don’t believe in religion and giving it all up to Jesus and stuff like that. I don’t believe in that. I just believe in God. I would never say that it’s in Jesus’ hands.”
Back in 2019, the singer staged an opera entitled “Mary” at Art Basel back in December which was directed by artist Vanessa Beecroft. Following the performance, Ye spoke with Vogue about his faith and the love he puts into everything he does. He claims that it has helped him to truly appreciate life.
In spite of his immense success in the music and business industries, he believed that it was all enough to satisfy him. At that point, he said, “I thought I had it all figured out,” adding that God had transformed everything, even his ego.
Additionally, he pointed out that while there isn’t much biblical content in rap music, these new songs have phrases and scenes straight out of the Bible. He also spoke of his ambition to compose music that is a “beacon of light” and use the big medium of opera to do so.
“God put it all together,” he continued. “I’ll tell you what, when I don’t apply grace, I don’t get the results I’m looking for. Everything must be done with grace. That’s one of the things I pray for—and I need to pray for more.”
Moreover, he demonstrated his commitment to his faith with his traveling Sunday Services, where he performed covers of his classics alongside praise dancers, choir, and a gospel chorus. The same choir performs the album’s opening track, “Jesus Is King,” which was Kanye’s first shot at a gospel studio album, according to Think Christian.
As a matter of fact, he incorporates biblical or religious themes into many of his compositions. For instance, some of the lines of his song “Selah” are as follows: “Won’t be in bondage to any man / We the descendants of Abraham / Ye should be made free / To whom the Son set free is free indeed / He saved a wretch like me.”
The lyrics of another song of his, “Jesus Lord,” which already makes reference to his religion, read: “If I talk to Christ, can I bring my mother back to life?” Last but not least, the lyrics to Jesus Walks, his most well-known song and one of Rolling Stone’s top 10, read: “They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus / That means guns, sex, lies, videotape / But if I talk about God my record won’t get played.”
3. Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is a pop singer and American actress who first gained popularity in the kids and family television series “Barney & Friends,” or more like our favorite purple dinosaur. Her involvement in the Disney television series “Wizards of Waverly Place” in 2007 significantly increased the buzz surrounding her profile.
“A Rainy Day in New York,” “Ramona and Beezus,” “Monte Carlo,” “Spring Breakers,” “Getaway,” “The Fundamentals of Caring,” and “Princess Protection Program” are among her other credits.
She also does voice acting; among her well-known roles is that of Mavis in the “Hotel Transylvania” movie series. Through her production firm, July Moonhead Productions, Selena also executive produced the Netflix television shows “13 Reasons Why” and “Living Undocumented.”
In addition, she executive produces and appears in the Hulu comedy-mystery series “Only Murders in the Building,” where she received critical acclaim, and the Critics’ Choice Television Awards nominated her for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as star in the HBO Max culinary series “Selena + Chef.”
When it comes to her singing career, Selena once played in a group called “Selena Gomez & the Scene.” The group put out three albums, all of which made it to the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 and were given gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. “A Year Without Rain,” “When the Sun Goes Down,” and “Kiss & Tell” are among the album’s tracks.
She was able to release her own three solo studio albums, “Stars Dance,” “Revival,” and “Rare,” each of which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, in addition to the single from her band. Simultaneously, she published the EP “Revelación” in Spanish, for which she was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.
Several of Selena’s tracks have peaked in the top 10 of the charts, one of those is her first number-one song “Lose You to Love Me.” According to Billboard, she has amassed a global sales total of over 22 million singles and seven million albums. She too has worked with other charity organizations and has represented UNICEF since she was 17 years old.
Selena Gomez’s Early Life
Selena Gomez’s Religion
She spoke on stage at a Hillsong conference in 2017, sharing her story of conversion to Christianity along with an open letter to herself, saying, “Selena you are enough, not because you’ve tried hard, not because you have loved hard or put on your best face, not because you have been given a large platform and not because others are telling you that you are enough.”
“You are enough because you are a child of God who has been pursuing you from the very beginning. You are enough because his grace has saved you and covers you. And every good thing you do will flow from this truth. What you give to others will always be an overflow of what He has given to you. Selena you don’t have to try so hard. You can rest.”
This is not the only time the artist took the stage in Hillsong Church as she has performed before during the Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles in 2016, and sang her song called “Nobody.”
Prior to these two event, Selena has been opened about her faith in various public settings, one of which is when she prayed before going on stage at the 2014 American Music Awards, and subsequently mentioned in her performance that she had been listening to one of her favorite worship songs, entitled “Oceans.”
She also sent out a tweet with a religious undertone, which reads: “Sometimes we think we aren’t good enough. But then I realize when I think I’m alone I have God.”
In a June 2017 interview on the “Zach Sang Show,” Selena provided some details on her religious beliefs, stating, “It’s hard because I don’t know if it’s necessarily that I believe in religion as much as I believe in faith and a relationship with God. I’ve never been the person that’s like, ‘this is what it should be.'”
“I’ve just experienced things in my life where there are holes in things that nothing else can fill and I know that if I didn’t have the faith that I had it wouldn’t have gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life… That word freaks me out sometimes, you know.”
Moreover. Selena spoke about her faith in a different interview she gave to Vogue only last year. She brought the preacher Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life and claimed she had read it three times.
“I’m very, very spiritual,” she shared at that time. “I believe in God, but I’m not religious. I’ve been a Christian for a while now. I don’t talk about it too much—I want to, but it’s gotten a bad rep. I just want to make it clear that I love being able to have my faith, and believe in what I believe in, and that truly is what gets me through.”
When questioned by the publication about a time in her life when she felt the most connected to God, she answered: “You don’t necessarily even need to believe to know that there’s something above you that’s bigger than you. You’re throwing your hands up, going, ‘I actually have no idea what is next.’”
4. Tom Hanks
He became renowned by taking the main roles in a number of comedies that received positive press, such as Splash, Bachelor Party, Big, and A League of Their Own. He then won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor for his performances in “Forrest Gump” as the movie’s lead and “Philadelphia” as an AIDS-stricken homosexual lawyer.
In addition, Tom worked with Steven Spielberg on five projects during his career as a filmmaker, including the miniseries “Band of Brothers” and the movies Saving “Private Ryan,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Terminal,” “Bridge of Spies,” and “The Post.”
The movie star not only won back-to-back Academy Awards, but he also took home seven Primetime Emmy Awards for his efforts as a producer of several limited series and television movies. He was also recognized with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2002 and was nominated for a 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy.”
Tom Hanks’ Early Life
Tom Hanks, real name Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, was born in Concord, California, on July 9, 1956. His father, Amos “Bud” Hanks, was an itinerant chef at the time, while his mother, Janet Marylyn, worked in a hospital. But in 1960, his parents were divorced.
Although not a direct descendant, the family is linked to both Abraham Lincoln and Fred Rogers. While his younger sibling Jim stayed in Red Bluff, California with his mother, his three elder siblings, Sandra, Larry, and Tom, traveled with their father. It was reported that Tom had been housed several times throughout his formative years. His ancestors were Mormons and Catholics, respectively.
Tom Hanks’ Religion
Tom Hanks is from a multi-religious family that has been active in the Catholic Church, Church of the Nazarene, and Mormonism. He began his description of his religious background in an interview that was obtained by several media websites by saying, “The major religion I was exposed to in the first 10 years of my life was Catholicism.”
“My stepmother became a Mormon. My aunt, whom I lived with for a long time, was a Nazarene, which is kind of ultra-super Methodist, and in high school, all my friends were Jews.”
“For years I went to Wednesday-night Bible studies with my church group. So I had this peripatetic overview of various faiths, and the one thing I got from that was the intellectual pursuit involved. There was a lot of great stuff to think about.”
The actor does not have strong religious convictions, although he does admit that he “ponders the mystery” during his church attendance. “I meditate on the, ‘why?’ of ‘Why people are as they are,’ and ‘Why bad things happen to good people,’ and ‘Why good things happen to bad people.’ … The mystery is what I think is, almost, the grand unifying theory of all mankind.”
However, Hanks joined Rita Wilson’s faith because she was raised as a Greek Orthodox Christian, his second and current wife. In one of their interviews, the couple even acknowledged that God is the secret to their happy marriage.
“God is a part of our life. Every single day, I prayed to God for I don’t know how many years that he would bring me somebody that I loved, that loved me in the same way, and he brought me Tom, so I believe in that,” Rita shared at that time.
Furthermore, the pair didn’t think twice to respond when a reporter approached them and asked if they believed in the effectiveness of prayer, saying that they do and that they also encourage others to do the same.
5. Candace Cameron Bure
Films about the holidays have made Candace Cameron Bure famous as an actress, producer, author, and talk show panelist. Some of her most well-known roles are as “D.J. Tanner” on Full House and the title role in Hallmark Channel’s film version of the Aurora Teagarden book series. On “Make It or Break It,” she also played Summer van Horne, the sister of Kirk Cameron, who played the lead character.
Additionally, Candace was a former co-host of the daytime talk show “The View.” She also gave “Dancing with the Stars” a go in 2014, finishing third. “No One Would Tell, “NightScream,” “St Elsewhere,” “Growing Pains,” “Who’s the Boss?” and “Camp Cucamonga,” are just a few of her other television appearances.
She likewise served as the executive producer of the one-hour Christmas program “Christmas in America,” which showed citizens throughout the country celebrating the holiday. Along with presenting talk shows, Candace is skilled at emceeing award ceremonies including the 26th annual Movieguide Awards, the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, etc.
Moreover, she is an author as well, who has penned four books, “Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness,” “Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose,” “Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction,” and “Kind is the New Classy: The Power of Living Graciously.”
Candace Cameron Bure’s Early Life
At the age of 5, Candace began her acting career with a number of national commercial appearances. She later had cameo roles on television shows including “Alice,” “St. Elsewhere,” and “Who’s the Boss,” before debuting in her first feature picture, “Some Kind of Wonderful,” in 1987.
The actress subsequently experienced her major break the same year when she was chosen to portray the part of “DJ Tanner” in the comedy “Full House,” which brought her worldwide recognition.
Candace Cameron Bure’s Religion
Candace Cameron Bure is a conservative Republican who became a Christian at the age of 12. “I became a Christian by asking God to be my Lord and Savior at 12 years old,” she disclosed.
“But it didn’t become my own until I was in my early 20s,” Candace said. “It was then that I saw myself as a sinner in need of Jesus’s saving grace. And I never got that before because I thought I was such a good person.”
By setting a commitment to read the Bible every day and collaborating with DaySpring on a line of devotionals and study Bibles, the actress demonstrated how devout she is to her faith back in 2021.
“My faith is really the foundation of who I am,” she said in an interview with Fox News at that time. “It’s so important to me, and it’s always a part of me, whether it’s at home and privately, or when I’m reading the Bible in Bible study.”
“But also at work, and the choices I make within work, and the companies I choose to work with and the projects that I choose to take on.” She added that, in her opinion, the Bible is the source of truth.
“I can always go back to the word of God and find the hope, the encouragement, the positivity, the trust that I know I have in Jesus. And so it never fails, even when life doesn’t go the way I want it to or had planned it to. I know that God’s in control of everything.”
“I live by faith in everything, in everything that I do, and every aspect of my life. So it’s not just something that I rely on or is a crutch. I mean, it is genuinely who I am. How it helps me? It’s hard to say because it’s just a part of my being,” the producer explained.
Although she was tempted to take several roles in the entertainment industry, she chose to decline them out of respect for her faith, stating, “Some of them, it hurt, definitely. There’s some that I’ve wanted, and you’re like, ‘Ugh, it’s not so bad.’ But in my heart, I’m like, ‘But it’s not right for me.’”
“And that is what I’ve always trusted, that if I can’t walk away having done something and be super proud of it, or if I have any sort of red flag in my heart that I may have regret over this, even again, if it’s not this thing that seems bad to everyone, but in my spirit, it doesn’t feel right, I just know that’s made it easier to make that decision to stay true to who I am.”
Prior to this interview, Candace has also been under fire for being a devout Christian, and this criticism is the result of her prior behavior on social media. She shared a picture of herself with her husband Val’s hand on her breast in one of those instances.
Later, she defended the image and talked about experiencing intimacy as a Christian woman. Another occurrence had her uploading a TikTok video in which she sang Lana Del Rey’s “Jealous Girl” while clutching the Bible, prompting criticism from viewers who felt she was sexualizing the holy scripture.
Candace apologized this time via a social media post that reads, “I usually don’t apologize for these things, but a lot of you thought it was weird, and I’m sorry. That was not my intention. I was using a very specific clip from TikTok and applying it to the power of the Holy Spirit, which is incredible.”
“So many of you thought that I was trying to be seductive which clearly means I’m not a very good actress because I was trying to be strong, not sexy or seductive,” she noted. “Maybe I was just trying to be too cool or relevant in a Biblical way that didn’t work.”
Thirdly, she stated in an interview with FOX 411 that she permits herself to be in a more submissive position in her marriage to her husband because of what the Bible says, which generated another controversy.
“I can go back to the Bible, and the Bible says, ‘Wives, respect your husbands, and husbands love your wives.’ There’s a difference between men and women,” she remarked.
“I know my husband doesn’t need the type of love I require that is much more caring and sensitive in nature, like, ‘Oh, honey you look wonderful.’ It’s like my husband doesn’t need to hear that on a daily basis like I do. But he needs to be respected. I like that my husband is a leader, he’s a man’s man. I want him to lead our family.”
“I’m a very strong woman and an opinionated woman, but I don’t think a marriage is at its best when you have two people vying for the same position, so someone has to yield at some point, and ultimately I will defer to my husband.”
“That’s not to say he isn’t constantly going, ‘Well what do you think?’ And we compromise on things, but ultimately he makes the decision. I know that makes him feel respected as the man of our home,” she concluded her stand.
Speaking of her spouse, the author attributes their union to their shared faith. She further mentioned that Val is a Christian as well. “I’m a Christian. My husband’s a Christian, and I’m really proud that we’ve managed to stay married for 24 years,” the talk show panelist shared to TODAY at that time. “And the fact that we have fun and we flirt together, this is part of what makes our marriage work.”
6. Carrie Underwood
After taking home the title of American Idol’s fourth season champion in 2005, country singer Carrie Underwood established a reputation. Carrie has had a little more than 15 years to build a successful career, and in that time, she is the number one certified Country female artist in music history for digital singles, who has sold more than 66 million records worldwide, recorded 28 #1 singles, and has seven albums that are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, according to her website.
She has won eight Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 17 American Music Awards, five Guinness World Records, been recognized by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, among other honors. “My Savior,” “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” are just a couple of the songs she has released that have a distinctly Christian undertone.
Carrie Underwood’s Early Life
Carrie Underwood, formerly known as Carrie Marie Underwood, was born to Carole and Steve Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1983. Carrie was raised on her parent’s farm in the surrounding rural town of Checotah, along with her two elder sisters named Shanna and Stephanie. Her mother was an elementary school teacher at the time, while her father worked in a paper factory.
Carrie had a love for singing early on; she sung in her local church, First Free Will Baptist Church, as well as at the Robbins Memorial Talent Show. Later, she performed for community functions in Checotah, such as Old Settler’s Day and the Lions Club.
Fortunately, when she was 14 years old, a local fan saw how talented she was and offered to help plan a trip for her to Nashville so she could audition for Capitol Records. However, when Capitol Records’ management changed in 1996, the contract they were drafting for her was terminated.
Carrie completed her education after that and received the salutatorian award when she graduated from Checotah High School in 2001. Despite her talent, she opted not to pursue singing after graduation and instead completed her studies at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This decision paid off as she finished as Magna Cum Laude in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication.
Carrie submitted her application for American Idol in St. Louis, Missouri, in the middle of 2004, singing Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” In 2005, she won the fourth season, taking home a Ford Mustang convertible and a recording deal worth at least a million dollars.
Carrie Underwood’s Religion
Devoutly Christian singer Carrie Underwood learned to sing in her Southern Baptist church as a child. Since the release of “Jesus Take the Wheel,” she has produced other singles that speak candidly about her faith.
“I’m not the first person to sing about God, Jesus, faith (or) any of that, and I won’t be the last. And it won’t be the last for me, either. If you don’t like it, change the channel,” Carrie said in an interview with Glamour on the duet worship song “All Is Well,” on which she and another Christian singer-songwriter, Michael W. Smith, worked on.
The American Idol winner also released “My Savior” last year, the title track from her debut gospel album, just in time for Easter. She told the Associated Press of her album: “I’m lucky enough that I feel like I’ve been making spiritual music along the way in my career.”
According to the publication, she had always planned to record the hymns she performed in church while growing up in Oklahoma.
She consistently expressed her gratitude to God after each victory. The movie “Soul Surfer,” which is about a woman who lost her arm to a shark attack and used her Christian faith to get through it, is one of the most well-known Christian-related movies that Carrie has appeared in outside of the music industry.
“I hope that it is very clear that the faith in this movie is more than an undertone, and that the reason Bethany got through everything was because of her faith in God,” she explained at that time in an interview acquired by Hollowverse.
“It’s easy to have faith when things are going great and you’re on top of the world. I’m winning, I’m selling, I’m on tour and this is all great! But this story is about having faith when the chips are down and how to deal with that.”
In a separate interview, this time, with PEOPLE, she claimed that God has been present in her life outside of her career in the world of entertainment, especially with her family and kids. Carrie is now attempting to raise her son as a Christian with a loving heart and feels that Mike has assisted her in strengthening her religion with their spirituality at the very core of their relationship.
7. Denzel Washington
American actor, director, and producer Denzel Washington Jr. has been credited for reinventing “the concept of classic movie stardom” due to his performances on stage and in films.
His numerous collaborations with Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott are well recognized. In addition to “Glory,” for which he received his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, he also starred in “A Soldier’s Story,” “Cry Freedom,” and the hospital drama “St. Elsewhere” which he first received popularity, before moving on to other projects.
Denzel Washington’s Early Life
Denzel Washington, also known as Denzel Hayes Washington Jr., was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 28, 1954. His parents were Denzel Hayes Washington Sr., a Pentecostal evangelist who worked for the New York City Water Department and Lennis “Lynne,” who was a beauty parlor owner and operator.
Until 1968, Denzel attended Mount Vernon’s Pennington-Grimes Elementary School. But after his parents got separated when he was 14, his mother enrolled him at the exclusive prep school Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. Following that, he studied from 1970 to 1971 at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Denzel Washington’s Religion
“I read the Bible every day. I’m in my second pass-through now, in the Book of John,” he shared to Reader’s Digest at that time. “My pastor told me to start with the New Testament, so I did, maybe two years ago. Worked my way through it, then through the Old Testament. Now I’m back in the New Testament. It’s better the second time around.”
His testimony didn’t stop there as he talked about it more during the Church Of God In Christ’s (COGIC) annual “We Care” Charities Banquet, saying he would no longer only communicate through his work but would instead make a point of standing up and sharing what God had done for him.
The actor even brought his conversation about faith when he was invited to do a graduation speech at the graduates of Dillard University. Denzel then stated: “Number one, put God first in everything you do.”
“Everything that you think you see in me and everything you think I’ve accomplished and everything you think I have… everything I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It’s a gift.”
Speaking of speeches, the filmmaker made sure to talk about his faith in his victory speech at the Screen Actor Guild Awards in 2017, when he won for his performance in “Fences,” which also happened to be a movie he also directed.
“I’m a God fearing man. I’m supposed to have faith, but I didn’t have faith,” he said of his speech and later told the crowd, “God bless you all, all you other actors.”
Aside from his faith, Denzel is also known for being a great actor who also go to great lengths in order to portray his role properly. However, during the production of his 2021 “Journal for Jordan” film, he shared how his faith impacted it.
“Sometimes. The spirit of God is throughout the film. Charles is an angel. I’m a believer. Dana’s a believer,” he told the Religion News. “So that was a part of every decision, hopefully, that I tried to make. I wanted to please God, and I wanted to please Charles, and I wanted to please Dana.”
“I helped build it. I am a member, also a member of the (Cultural Christian Center) out here in New York,” he shared. “I have more than one spiritual leader in my life.”
“So there’s different people I talk to, and I try to make sure I try to put God first in everything. I was reading something this morning in my meditation about selfishness and how the only way to true independence is complete dependence on the Almighty.”
Additionally, only last year, Denzel discussed spiritual warfare in an interview with the New York Times, claiming that he is not viewing it from an earthly viewpoint.
“If you don’t have a spiritual anchor, you’ll be easily blown by the wind, and you’ll be led to depression,” he continued. “The enemy is the inner me.”
“The Bible says in the last days – I don’t know if it’s the last days, it’s not my place to know – but it says we’ll be lovers of ourselves. The number one photograph today is a selfie, ‘Oh, me at the protest.’ ‘Me with the fire.’ ‘Follow me.’ ‘Listen to me.'”
Recently, the actor made his way to gave an advice to his fellow actor Will Smith after the controversial Oscar slap he did to presenter Chris Rock for joking about “G.I. Jane” to his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Will then acknowledged Denzel in his acceptance speech and stated: “Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, ‘At your highest moment, be careful – that’s when the devil comes for you.’”
8. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Dwayne Johnson originally gained notoriety as “The Rock” in professional wrestling, where he competed for eight years. He is widely considered as one of the all-time greats of the sport. Dwayne is an also American businessman and actor whose movies have earned over $10.5 billion globally and over $3.5 billion domestically, making him one of the highest-grossing and highest-paid actors in the world.
“The Mummy Returns,” which is his first film appearance, as well as “The Scorpion King,” “Hercules,” and “The Fast and the Furious” franchise were among the movies in which he later found recognition.
He began acting in action films, but he also appeared in Disney movies including “The Game Plan,” “Race to Witch Mountain,” “Tooth Fairy,” and “Jungle Cruise,” as well as “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Skyscraper,” “San Andreas,” and “Rampage.”
Due to how well-known his voice is, even one person may recognize the part he played in a Disney film like “Moana,” in which he gave the voice of “Maui.”
The HBO comedy-drama series “Ballers” and the autobiographical sitcom “Young Rock,” both of which he also starred in, marked his entry into the film-producing industry. He also published his autobiography, “The Rock Says,” which became a New York Times bestseller.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s Early Life
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, also known as Dwayne Douglas Johnson, was born into a professional wrestling family on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. Dwayne is the grandson of professional wrestler Peter “High Chief” Fanene Maivia and the son of Ata Johnson and former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson.
Before moving back to the United States, the actor spent a brief period of time as a child playing rugby and attending Richmond Road Primary School in Grey Lynn, Auckland, where his mother’s family resided.
Also in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dwayne attended Montclaire Elementary School before relocating to Hamden, Connecticut, where he then attended Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Hamden Middle School. He subsequently attended President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Glencliff High School and McGavock High School in Nashville, and finally, Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1990.
The former professional wrestler has been detained many times for violence, stealing, and check fraud before the age of 17. He was given a two-week suspension for fighting at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Even though he had only played two seasons of high school football by the time he was a senior at Freedom High School, he had gotten along pretty smoothly while playing for the squad that participated in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, a high school sports division.
He also participated in University of Miami’s collegiate football program. However, his football journey was cut short by an injury, so he decided to follow in his family’s footstep and joined the WWE.
The first black tag team champions in WWE history were his father and teammate Tony Atlas. His mother is Peter Maivia’s adoptive child, a former professional wrestler. Even his maternal grandmother Lia managed Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling until 1988 following her husband’s passing in 1982 and was the first female pro wrestling promoter.
It was also reported that Dwayne is a non-blood cousin of the Anoa’i wrestling dynasty through his maternal grandpa Maivia. In 2008, he inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s Religion
God is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s source of strength. Johnson frequently discusses his religious beliefs in public, one time is when he tweeted, “Faith.. when its our core value – its powerful. Religious or not.. we all have #Faith in something. #WeNeverWalkAlone,” back in 2012.
The actor discussed his struggle with depression and how God saved him through his darkest hours in a 2015 interview with Oprah. At the time, he said, “You’re not the first to go through it; you’re not going to be the last to go through it.”
“And oftentimes — it happens — you just feel like you’re alone. You feel like it’s only you. You’re in your bubble,” he continued. “I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], ‘Hey, it’s gonna be okay. It’ll be okay.’ So, I wish I knew that.”
Johnson is offering some insightful counsel to those who are experiencing the same situation since he is aware of what it was like to go through such a period in the past. He notes, “Hold onto that fundamental quality of faith. Have faith that on the other side of your pain is something good.”
In the same year but a different interview, this time with a reporter in what appeared to be a red carpet appearance of him, he was asked what was the hardest part of his life before he became successful.
“At that time, which was five or six years ago, for me I was a little unsure of what was actually gonna happen,” he answered. “You know, so I just have to, put my faith in God and continue to work hard and hopefully good things will happen.”
“I have my own special relationship with God, you know, and I certainly, I feel very blessed. I count my blessings, every day.”
9. Nick Jonas
American singer, songwriter, and actor Nick Jonas made his name after forming the Jonas Brothers band with his elder brothers, Kevin and Joe. He made his Broadway debut at age 7 and released his first album song in 2002, which is when Columbia Records first took notice of him. The brothers’ group then left Columbia and signed with Hollywood Records after releasing their debut studio album, “It’s About Time,” on the Columbia label in 2006.
The band earned enormous success and notoriety after selling more than 17 million albums worldwide. This fame and notoriety expanded further after they appeared in the Disney Channel television series “JONAS” and two Disney Channel Original Movies, “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.” But when they disbanded in 2013, Nick started working as Demi Lovato’s musical and creative director and formed his own band, Nick Jonas & the Administration.
For his acting career, Nick has starred in movies including “Careful What You Wish For,” “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” and on the TV shows “Last Man Standing” and “Hawaii Five-0.”
Among his honors are Young Hollywood Artist of the Year 2010, Hero Award, Favorite Male Singer, Acuvue Inspire Award, and Pop Songwriter for his song “Jealous.”
Nick Jonas’ Early Life
Paul Kevin Jonas, an ordained preacher of an Assemblies of God church, and his singer and former sign language instructor wife Denise welcomed Nick Jonas into the world on September 16, 1992 in Dallas, Texas. With his two elder brothers, Kevin and Joe, and younger brother, Frankie, Nick spent his formative years in Wyckoff, New Jersey.
He received his education from his mother at home. On the other hand, his singing career began when he was discovered at the age of six at a barbershop while his mother was getting her hair trimmed and was directed to a qualified show business manager. At the age of seven, he started acting on Broadway.
His Broadway career continues with parts in Annie Get Your Gun, a substitute role with Reba McEntire, Les Miserables, and Beauty and the Beast. He co-wrote a Christmas song with his father while working on Broadway, and Columbia Records later came across it, launching his current career in the music industry.
Nick Jonas’ Religion
Nick Jonas has always been recognized for being a Christian and is the son of a former worship leader and preacher. In fact, he and his father collaborated on the tune “Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer),” which was included on the compilation CD Broadway’s Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 4.
Later, INO Records distributed the song to Christian radio in 2003, making it his first hit. The singer signed a deal with Columbia Records and INO to release his first studio album after the track drew Columbia Records’ interest. The project’s first single, “Dear God,” was made available in 2004. A re-recorded version of “Joy to the World (A Christmas Song)” was then published.
Even though Nick and his wife Priyanka Chopra have been married for more than three years, their wedding ceremony continues to generate interest online since it was conducted in both a Christian and a Hindu manner.
At that moment, a ceremony at a legitimate palace in Jodhpur marked the conclusion of their three-day wedding celebration. Priyanka was dressed in a long-sleeved, high-neck Ralph Lauren gown with a 75-foot veil, and Nick’s father performed the ceremony. According to Brides, the couple even threw a puga, Mehendi ceremony, and Sangeet in the days before the wedding, which included a dancing battle between the two families.
Even though they practice different religions, they have the same spiritual beliefs. Hindu by faith, Priyanka claims to carry her little Mandir or Hindu temple with her everywhere she goes and to worship the statues of the Hindu Gods.
Regardless of their present faith, the singer boasted about her wife and their relationship, stating, “My wife is Indian. She is Hindu, and she is incredible in every way. She has taught me so much about her culture and religion. I love and admire her so much, and as you can see we have fun together. Happy Karva Chauth to everyone.”
For her part, Priyanka praised her husband for the initiatives he has taken to uphold the faith she practices, stating, “Me and Nick have always had similar views on spiritual issues, especially when it comes to our feelings, relationships and beliefs.”
“Obviously we have grown up with different beliefs but I believe that religion is just a map which takes us to the same destination in the end. We all work in the same direction.”
She added: “I do a lot of worship in my house. Whenever we are about to do something big, Nick tells us to worship. I always start something good with a prayer to God, through which I want to ‘thank’ him for every good deed.”
10. Justin Bieber
Modern pop music has been greatly influenced by Canadian music sensation and Grammy Award winner Justin Bieber, who is well recognized for mixing several musical styles. After being discovered by American record entrepreneur Scooter Braun, Justin was signed to RBMG Records in 2008.
His first seven-track EP, “My World,” which was certified platinum worldwide, played a significant role in his ascent to prominence. Before that, he established a record by being the first solo artist to have four singles hit the Top 40 before the release of his debut album.
In 2009, the aforementioned album sold more than 137,000 copies in a single week. He gave fans 10 new songs in 2010 with the release of “My World 2.0.” Before his numerous controversies, which were continually in the news, his subsequent album “Believe” sold 374,000 copies in its first week. He also created a Christmas album called “Under the Mistletoe.”
Justin’s highly anticipated comeback album “Purpose” sold five million copies in the US by the end of 2015. With the release of “Changes” in February 2020, he surpassed Elvis Presley’s previous record as the youngest artist to debut seven albums at number one on the Billboard Hot 200.
With projected global record sales of over 150 million, these are just a few of the factors that contributed to his status as one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has three Diamond certifications from the RIAA to his name and has won a slew of awards, including 33 Guinness World Records, 26 Billboard Music Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 21 MTV Europe Music Awards, 23 Teen Choice Awards, two Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, eight Juno Awards, two Brit Awards, and one Bambi Award.
Justin Bieber’s Early Life
Jeremy Jack Bieber and Pattie Mallette, who were never married, gave birth to Justin Drew Bieber, better known by his stage name Justin Bieber, on March 1, 1994, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario. Diane and Bruce, Justin’s grandparents, reared him in Stratford, Ontario.
The singer has three younger half-brothers and sisters through his father, Jeremy. While raising him alone in low-income apartments, his mother Pattie, on the other hand, worked a string of low-paying office jobs.
Justin went to the Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School in Stratford, which is an elementary school with a French immersion program. In 2012, he obtained his high school diploma from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario.
The pop sensation was already interested about music at an early age when he started to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. He even took part in a local singing contest in Stratford, where he performed “So Sick” by Ne-Yo, finishing in second place.
Fortunately, Justin’s mother uploaded a video of his performance on YouTube for the benefit of their family and friends. She then just kept uploading videos of him singing covers of other R&B songs, which finally led to an increase in Justin’s popularity on the social media platform.
After that, he began performing while busking with a borrowed guitar in front of the Avon Theatre steps during the tourist season. At the same time, Scooter Braun was seeking for recordings of another musician in 2007 on YouTube, he unintentionally clicked on one of Justin’s videos. This may have been a coincidence or the result of fate.
Scooter was obviously moved by Justin’s talent as he immediately looked for the theater where he was performing, and eventually got in touch with his mother Mallette, who initially expressed doubt about Scooter’s motives because of his religious beliefs.
His mother remembers praying to God in an interview, stating, “God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label! God, you don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s man, do you?”
Church authorities, however, convinced her to let his son accompany him, and it turned out well for both of them since, at the age of 13, Scooter and Justin traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to record demos. A week later, Justin began performing for Usher. Since then, he began a fruitful career in the music industry.
Justin Bieber’s Religion
We all know that Justin Bieber has been outspoken about his relationship with God and his Christian beliefs since the very beginning of his career. His religion is what he consistently attributes his success to, whether it be in music, interviews, tattoos, or when he saved himself after a significant controversy.
Speaking of controversy, one of the Canadian singer’s most talked scandal was when he was arrested in Miami for drag racing in a rented yellow Lamborghini and was consequently charged with DUI after failing a sobriety test. As a result, his mugshot from his first arrest began trending online.
He has also been in the press for his opinions on abortion, for reportedly consuming marijuana, for running over a paparazzi, and for n-word videos. His life was heavily covered by the media. It’s clear that this had an impact on Justin, since he took a break from singing in 2017, two years after releasing “Purpose” in 2015.
Speaking about his “Purpose” album, many fans assumed it was a Christian record since it sounds like redemption following the multiple scandals in his life, or rather a dark era in which Justin distanced from his mother and his longtime manager, Scooter Braun.
The pop star discussed more about that time as well as his faith in an article written by GQ titled “The Redemption of Justin Bieber. “I was surrounded by a lot of people, and we were all kind of just escaping our real life,” he said of those years.
“I think we just weren’t living in reality. I think it would have probably resulted in just a lot of doing drugs and being posted up, to be honest.”
“There was a sense of still yearning for more,” he continued. “It was like I had all this success and it was still like: I’m still sad, and I’m still in pain. And I still have these unresolved issues. And I thought all the success was going to make everything good. And so for me, the drugs were a numbing agent to just continue to get through.”
At the outset of his speech, Justin also mentioned his trust in God and how he came to be where he is now, saying, “Hurt people hurt people—you know? And there’s a quote; I’m trying to remember it. I don’t know if it’s biblical, if it’s in the Bible. But I do remember this quote: The comforted become the comforters.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard that before. But I really do feel comforted. I have a wife who I adore, who I feel comforted by. I feel safe. I feel like my relationship with God is wonderful. And I have this outpouring of love that I want to be able to share with people, you know?”
“I don’t want to let my shame of my past dictate what I’m able to do now for people,” he added. “A lot of people let their past weigh them down, and they never do what they want to do because they think that they’re not good enough.”
“But I’m just like: ‘I did a bunch of stupid shit. That’s okay. I’m still available. I’m still available to help. And I’m still worthy of helping.”
In the same interview, Justin also said that getting married to Hailey Bieber and starting a family was his calling. “We’re just creating these moments for us as a couple, as a family, that we’re building these memories. And it’s beautiful that we have that to look forward to.”
“Before, I didn’t have that to look forward to in my life. My home life was unstable. Like, my home life was not existing. I didn’t have a significant other. I didn’t have someone to love. I didn’t have someone to pour into. But now I have that.”
Chance the Rapper, a friend of Justin’s, even spoke to his buddy’s faith in God and how they both constantly turned to Jesus for help, claiming, “Both of us, our secret sauce is Jesus. Justin doesn’t fake the funk. He goes to Jesus with his problems, he goes to Jesus with his successes. He calls me just to talk about Jesus.”
“Every time we mess up, He’s picking us back up every single time. That’s how I view it. And so it’s like, ‘I made a mistake. I won’t dwell in it. I don’t sit in shame. But it actually makes me want to do better.’”
Justin is well-known for having attended Hillsong Church in the past and for believing disgraced pastor Carl Lentz to be his “second father,” but he appeared to address a scandal in which Lentz was engaged that indirectly resulted in his firing.
Without mentioning his own name, he reflected on what had occurred, and said, “I think so many pastors put themselves on this pedestal, and it’s basically, church can be surrounded around the man, the pastor, the guy.”
“And it’s like, ‘This guy has this ultimate relationship with God that we all want but we can’t get because we’re not this guy.’ That’s not the reality, though. The reality is, every human being has the same access to God.”
Like other famous people, Justin has reached a crossroads when he has turned to God for assistance because he feels unable to overcome his issues or whatever he is going through on his own. He also said that he struggles much and wonders what God wants from him and what the goal of it all is because every choice he makes is motivated by his own ego.
There are still unanswered questions, but after asking help, he claimed that someone or something provided an answer, which gave him the assurance that if God forgives him, loves him, and causes those things to happen, as well as if God places those desires in his heart, he can put his faith in God.
“I just kept trusting what He said and what He’s saying to me,” he concluded. “And I just believe He speaks to me. It’s not audible. I don’t hear His audible voice. I don’t know if people do. I know people have said it, and in the Bible it talks about that, but I just never heard it. It’s more like nudges: Don’t do this. Or: Set these boundaries.”