Many people have a strong belief in their faith. If you are one of these people, then you should know that there are many actors that are orthodox Christians. These celebrities make up a small group that has played an important role in helping to spread the gospel. This is why it is so important to learn about them and see what they can do for you.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is an orthodox Christian actor who has been a fixture in Hollywood for over three decades. He has received two Academy Awards, and has starred in a wide variety of films. His most notable roles include The Green Mile, Joe Versus the Volcano, The ‘Burbs, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and The Pacific.
While Tom Hanks is a very faithful Orthodox Christian, he is not a very vocal one. Instead, he enjoys the religious atmosphere of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Tom and his wife Rita have four children and have been married for nearly 30 years. They have been attending St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles. In 2015, Tom’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jim Belushi
Jim Belushi is an orthodox Christian actor from the United States who is known for his villainous roles in many Hollywood films. He was born in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 1954.
As a child, he was raised in the Orthodox Christian faith. His parents are Albanian immigrants. The family attended the Albanian Orthodox Church.
In 1978, Jim graduated from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale. After college, he began working in Chicago as an actor. Soon after, he joined the comedy troupe, The Second City, where he met Bernard Sahlins. Together, they formed a troupe, called the West Compass Trio, and later, the Belushi-Sahlins-Cooper trio.
Emir Kusturica
Emir Kusturica, an orthodox Christian actor and filmmaker, is a controversial figure in Bosnia. He was born in Sarajevo, the capital of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a constituent republic of Yugoslavia.
Kusturica has been a critic of the US and Hollywood. His first film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1981. After that, he has directed some of the most widely acclaimed films in the world.
Kusturica was baptised as a Serbian orthodox Christian in 2005, a moment which has helped to reaffirm his Serbian roots. He is also a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska.
Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith is a talented singer and actress who has been in show business for many years. She has been nominated for several awards including the Young Artist Award for her role in The Blob. In 2003, she lent her voice to the Disney cartoon Kim Possible.
Her first film role was in John Huston’s adaptation of the play Annie. After her success in movies, she became a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Shawnee Smith graduated from North Hollywood High School. She later went to Panorama City, L.A. schools. From there, she moved to Van Nuys, California. However, she was only a year old when her parents decided to divorce.
Frank Schaeffer
One of the most prolific Christian authors of the past century, Frank Schaeffer is a man of many gifts. The newest of these is his conversion to Orthodoxy.
Throughout his lifetime, he has produced a wide variety of novels, short stories, plays, and other works of fiction. He has also been an active member of the conservative evangelical community. However, the man’s true calling lies elsewhere.
As a matter of fact, the genesis of his conversion came when his father Francis Schaeffer became a convert himself. After he moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, the two embarked on a career in children’s ministry.
Gerard Depardieu
Several years ago, actor Gerard Depardieu converted to Orthodoxy. He said the decision was due to close ties with the Orthodox clergy.
The ceremony, which took place in Paris’ Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky, was attended by several members of the Depardieu family. Archbishop Jean Renneteau of the French diocese performed the baptism.
The baptism of Depardieu was a big deal, not only because he was baptized, but also because he became a godfather to a girl whose baptism took place on the same day as his. Approximately thirty people gathered at the baptism. One photograph, published in the “Orthodox Times,” shows Depardieu in the baptismal font.
