Top Mormons In Entertainment

Donny and Marie Osmond

One of America's most enduring showbiz families, the Osmonds have provided the country with wholesome entertainment for decades. The two most famous of the performing family are siblings Donny and Marie. Their careers have included everything from a variety show to hit singles to Broadway musicals to QVC, where Marie sells a popular line of dolls. Both siblings also tried their hands – or, rather, their feet – at Dancing with the Stars. Marie placed third in her season (her freestyle dance had her dressing up as one of her QVC dolls) and Donny won the great big mirrorball trophy two years later.

As for their own personal practices? When Donny was a teenager, already a celebrity thanks to his song "Puppy Love," was excused from doing his mission trip because his worldwide success was already bringing positive attention to the Mormon faith. Marie's daughter Jessica is an out lesbian, and though many in the LDS community disdain homosexuality, Marie has openly embraced her daughter. In a radio interview, Marie said, "When it comes to marriage... I think that civil rights need to be for all. When you start mixing religion into that and beliefs, you know, I do believe in the Bible. My daughter understands my beliefs. And... God said to be married and be productive with your children and, and, you know, replenish the earth or whatever. She understands those things. My daughter is sharp."

Katherine Heigl

Raised in a Mormon family in Connecticut, Katherine "Katie" Heigl has been acting since she was a child. She hit the big time playing Dr. Izzie Stevens on the hit ABC drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she won an Emmy, but soon landed roles in successful movies like Knocked Up and 27 Dresses. Heigl left the show this season in order to pursue film work.

Though she's keeping mum for the time being on what her next big project is going to be, last year Heigl optioned the movie rights to Carolyn Jessop's bestselling book Escape. Jessop's memoir is about how she was raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS, an offshoot of the mainstream LDS church), forced into a polygamist marriage, and later managed to escape with her children and rebuild her life. Heigl has said that she intends to produce the film and play the role of Carolyn.

Last year, Heigl continued another one of her family's traditions – she adopted a young girl, Naleigh, from Korea. Heigl's own sister, Meg, was also adopted as a child from Korea, and Heigl has stated that she always wanted to adopt a child of her own.

Jon Heder

The unlikely breakout star of independent movie hit Napoleon Dynamite, Heder will permanently be associated with "Vote for Pedro" T-shirts. He grew up in a close-knit LDS family in Colorado, did his mission trip in Japan, and then attended Brigham Young University. Heder graduated from BYU in 2002. A few years later, Heder appeared in the short film Peluca, which was produced by the LDS filmmaker Jared Hess. The movie aired at BYU and several local film festivals, and was eventually adapted into Napoleon Dynamite. Heder followed up his star-making role with a role opposite Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory.

Heder and his wife, Kristen, are active in their local LDS ward in Los Angeles. Heder has said in interviews that he abstains from alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, all of which are outlawed for Mormons.

Derek and Julianne Hough

Now that megahit reality show Dancing with the Stars is already in its tenth season, some of the professional dancers are almost as recognizable as their celebrity partners. Two of the biggest standouts are siblings Julianne and Derek Hough (pronounced "Huff"), both of whom are not only good dancers but good teachers. Both have trained their celebrity partners to victory – Derek once (with TV host Brooke Burke) and Julianne twice (first with Olympic short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and then with race car driver Helio Castroneves). Derek is still on the show – this year he's partnered with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger – but Julianne has since moved on to pursue other opportunities. The triple threat performer released her first country album last year and has been cast as the female lead in a new Hollywood remake of the classic dance-crazed movie Footloose.

Gladys Knight

The legendary R&B singer known as "The Empress of Soul" who rose to stardom with songs like "Midnight Train to Georgia," converted to Mormonism in 1998. Her son Jimmy had already become LDS and introduced Gladys to the religion. Gladys has admitted that many of her friends and acquaintances questioned her about her decision, one even asking her if she was the only black Mormon. African-Americans have had a somewhat fractious relationship with the Mormon church. For a long time, many Mormons believed that black people were the descendants of Ham and that their skin color was a way of marking them. In 1978, the LDS church officially allowed African-Americans to become priesthood holders. Knight has spoken about how accepted she feels in the Mormon faith and done outreach work with other African-Americans in the church. She also founded the Saints United Choir, a Grammy-winning LDS gospel choir.

David Archuleta, Brooke White, Carmen Rasmusen (American Idol)

Wholesome tends to do well on American Idol, the number one show in the country, and these three LDS singers all soared their way to the finals. David Archuleta was the runner-up on season 7 behind David Cook, but despite landing in second place he has had a successful career with hit singles like "Crush." In the same season, David befriended fellow finalist Brooke White, also a Mormon, as they both struggled to choose songs that didn't contain profanity and had proper subject matter. (The two both wanted "Sweet Caroline" for Neil Diamond week. They flipped a coin, and Archuleta got the song. White went with "I Am, I Said.")

Carmen Rasmusen made it to sixth place on season 2 of American Idol. One of her most famous moments was when she wore a T-shirt under a tube dress and got made fun of on fashion blogs. Rasmusen defended her sartorial choice, saying that the outfit provided by her for the show defied her modest standards, and that the T-shirt was a quick way to cover up. She wrote about this incident and other show happenings in her memoir Staying In Tune, which was printed by LDS publisher Spring Creek Book Company. She is married to Bradley Herbert, son of former Utah governor Gary R. Herbert.

Aaron Eckhart

Aaron Eckhart is one of the hottest men in Hollywood. But before he was a star, he was a struggling actor. While working on his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting at Brigham Young University, Eckhart struck up a friendship with the playwright Neil LaBute. LaBute, who grew up in the LDS faith but was "disfellowshipped" for his controversial views and writings, cast Eckhart in several of his movies, beginning with In the Company of Men in 1997. (LaBute's play Bash, which was produced in 1999, depicted Mormon characters who did not behave in accordance with the church's teachings. Though he was not officially excommunicated, he is not allowed to take part in LDS rituals or hold church office.) Eckhart has appeared in several of LaBute's films and played the titular character's boyfriend in Erin Brockovich and the villainous Two-Face in The Dark Knight.

Eckhart's relationship with Mormonism is somewhat unclear. He told Entertainment Weekly, "I'm sure people think I'm a Mormon, but I don't know that I'm a Mormon anymore, you know? To be honest, to be perfectly clear, I'd be a hypocrite if I did say that I was, just because I haven't lived that lifestyle for so many years." Eckhart admits to drinking, smoking, and other non-LDS-approved behavior in his past, but claims to have cleaned up his act.

Julie Stoffer

Back when The Real World was more about cultures clashing than about drinking and partying, Utah college student Julie Stoffer joined the show for its New Orleans season. She became the season's most memorable cast member – she crushed on a housemate, went to her first rave, and was moved by the love between a gay roommate and his boyfriend.

However, Julie's most dramatic storyline took place after the show finished taping. Brigham Young University would not let Julie return to finish her degree because being on The Real World violated the school's rule about not allowing opposite-gender roommates. Julie still occasionally pops up on the network that made her a household name and has appeared on several seasons of The Real World/Road Rules Challenge. She and her husband, publicly identified only as "Spencer," married in the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City in 2004. She continues to speak to young people on college campuses and blogs on her website, Planetjulie.com

.

A Guide to Pioneer Day

Behind this LDS celebration is a tale of hardship and homecoming. Read next feature >