Tom Cruise would reportedly like to find a new Scientology member and sees "huge potential" in this respect in zookeeper Robert Irwin.
This follows the pair’s meeting at the Sydney premiere of Cruise’s film Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.
Irwin, 19, is the son of the late Steve Irwin, the Australian zookeeper best known for the wildlife documentary television series The Crocodile Hunter. The Mirror said Cruise was keen to revive the show with Irwin junior as the star.
A source reportedly said that Cruise was “taken aback by how much [Irwin] looks like his dad”.
The source told Woman's Day magazine: “Tom's just not interested in recruiting him for the religion — he wants to work with Rob and thinks he could help his production company break into the TV streaming market.”
Despite having an estimated fewer than 10 million followers worldwide, Scientology is perhaps one of the most well-known faiths. This is largely due to the participation of the wealthy and well-known such as Cruise.
So what is Scientology and which celebrities follow the faith?
What is Scientology?
Scientology is a religious movement that was founded in the early 1950s by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. The Church of Scientology, the main organisation associated with Scientology, promotes a set of beliefs and practices that Hubbard developed through his writings and lectures.
According to Scientology teachings, humans are essentially spiritual beings called “thetans” that are separate from their bodies. Thetans are said to have lived through multiple past lives and have accumulated negative experiences called “engrams” that affect their present lives. Scientology aims to help individuals rid themselves of these engrams through a process called “auditing,” which involves a series of counseling sessions.
Scientology also offers various courses and programmes, both for personal development and spiritual advancement. The church has its own set of scriptures, including Hubbard’s writings and lectures, and it operates on a hierarchical structure with different levels of spiritual advancement.
Who are Scientology’s biggest celebrity followers?
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is one of the Church of Scientology’s most well-known followers and outspoken advocates.
Through his first wife, Mimi Rogers, he became associated with the movement, whose headquarters are in Riverside County, California.
Following their 1990 divorce, Cruise got married twice again, first to Nicole Kidman in 1990 and then to Katie Holmes in 2006. Both marriages apparently ended in 2001 and 2012 as a result of the actor's membership in the church, according to USmagazine.com.
John Travolta
John Travolta joined the Church of Scientology in 1975, though one source told OK magazine in February 2022 his relationship with the church was “breaking away”. He is listed as one of most successful Scientologists on the religion’s website.
The actor converted after being given a book on Dianetics, a set of pseudoscientific theories developed by Hubbard, while filming The Devil’s Rain in Durango, Mexico.
Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss, the star of The Handmaid's Tale, was raised as a Scientologist, in contrast to famous people who converted to the faith later in life.
Moss told Variety that she attributed her development as a talented communicator to Scientology and urged people to "find out for themselves" if they had any concerns about the organisation.
Anne Archer
Since her son Tommy Davis served as the previous spokesperson and executive leader for the Church of Scientology, actress Anne Archer, who was nominated for an Oscar in 1988, is one of the most well-known Scientologists.
Archer was previously a Christian scientist.
Riley Keough
Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, and many other members of her family are reportedly ardent Scientologists.
However, despite Keough’s mum’s association with the religion, the late Lisa Marie Priestley reportedly left the religion in 2014, saying at the time, “I was slowly starting to self-destruct. They were taking my soul, my money, my everything.”
