6 famous people you didn’t realise were raised Mormon: from The Fall Guy star Ryan Gosling and the late Paul Walker, to The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Christina Aguilera and actress Amy Adams

May 18 , 2024

Actors Brandon Flowers, Amy Adams and Ryan Gosling were all raised Mormon. Photos: @simonemmettstudio/Instagram, Handout

By her own admission, Ryan Gosling’s mother was a ‘religious zealot’ whose adherence to Mormon doctrine dictated what her family ate and thought, but the Barbie star says the church also helped him

The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers is still a practising Mormon, and has said he’s ‘terrible’ at the religion’s suggested monthly food fast, while Chelsea Handler called the church ‘ridiculous’

For the uninitiated, the Mormon church – also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – was founded in upstate New York in 1830 by Joseph Smith. Smith was just 14 when he said God spoke to him and told him where to find an ancient scripture detailing Jesus’ visit to America after his resurrection, PBS explains.

In addition to its unusual beginnings, a Broadway play criticising Mormonism’s overzealous missionaries and bizarre doctrines such as a ban on consuming hot drinks have helped cement the religion’s controversial reputation. But believe it or not, some of the world’s biggest stars were raised in Mormon households …

1. Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling, pictured with Emma Stone in 2016’s La La Land. Photo: Summit Entertainment

Canadian Ryan Gosling’s parents were both devout Mormons, with The Fall Guy star crediting going to church as the thing that helped socialise him at a young age, according to Screenrant. He told The Guardian in 2007 that his mum was particularly religious: “My mother admits it: she says, you were raised by a religious zealot. She’s different now, but at the time, it was a part of everything – what they ate, how they thought.”

2. Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera experienced a Mormon upbringing during her very early years. Photo: Enrique Badulescu

Though RadarOnline reports that Christina Aguilera has long identified as Catholic, it points out that the “Dirty” singer was originally raised Mormon on account of both of her parents being members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. The couple were even married at an LDS temple in Washington DC, according to SheKnows.

3. Brandon Flowers

The Killers’ Brandon Flowers “might be the most famous Mormon in the world”, according to The Utah Statesman. Photo: Universal Music

The Killers frontman remains one of Mormonism’s most famous proponents, regularly discussing his faith in interviews. He told The Guardian in October 2017 that his parents converted when he was still a child and at some point “drinking Coca-Cola became an issue”. It’s not doctrine, he adds, “but culturally frowned upon”.