18 famous people who starred in Latter-day Saint movies and TV shows

Did you know many Academy Award–winning actors and Hollywood stars have appeared in Latter-day Saint–themed movies? Check out this fun list to find out more about the actors and the roles they played.

Editorial note: This article is not meant to be a comprehensive list but highlights a number of notable performances and actors.

Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Battle Los Angeles, No Reservations, Love Happens) grew up as a Latter-day Saint and has said the influence of Mormonism is still in his “blood and bones.” Before he graduated from Brigham Young University, Eckhart appeared in the LDS short film Godly Sorrow, playing the love interest of a Latter-day Saint girl who learns the difference between worldly and godly sorrow.

The full film is available to watch on YouTube:

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PBS’s documentary, revamped into a new docudrama, Joseph Smith, American Prophet tells the life of the first prophet of this dispensation with the help of interviews from Church leaders and scholars as well as narration by Academy Award–winning actor Gregory Peck. Peck is best known for his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, but he also starred in classic films such as Roman Holiday, Cape Fear, and The Omen.

“Without a doubt, Gary Coleman was the child TV star of the late 1970s and early 1980s,” IMDb states. While most people recognize Coleman as Arnold Jackson from the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, Latter-day Saints might also recognize him from Church Ball, a movie about a ward basketball team of misfits trying to make it to the championships. Coleman plays one of the awkward, uncoordinated basketball players, Charles Higgins.

Fun fact: during the filming of this movie, Coleman met his wife, Shannon Price.

Watch the trailer below:

An Academy Award winner and one of the most loved Hollywood stars of all time, James (Jimmy) Stewart knows how to make a good Christmas movie. After returning home from serving as a pilot during WWII, Stewart filmed his iconic role as George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life. Much later in his life, Stewart starred as the main character in the LDS short film Mr. Krueger's Christmas, another heartwarming Christmas classic.

In an interview with Meridian Magazine, the director of Mr. Krueger's Christmas, Kieth Merrill, said this of his interactions with Stewart:

“Following the rehearsal of the scene where Mr. Krueger visits the manager and pays homage to the Christ Child, Jimmy pulled me aside and said, ‘I need to do this in one take.’

“He had certainly proven his ability to nail a scene in one take, but on our low budget I only had one camera, and I needed coverage to make the scene work. … I tried to explain. Then, in that private moment, he shared his feelings for the Savior in a way that in our Mormon tradition was akin to bearing testimony:

“‘For me this scene and these words are very personal and very real, and I will not be able to do it twice.’

“I am confident in telling you that Mr. Krueger’s emotions as he kneels and talks to the Babe in the manger reflect in reality the feelings of James Stewart toward the Lord, Jesus Christ. The reverence for the Savior of the World so beautifully manifested by Mr. Krueger was a genuine sentiment for this marvelous actor. … Gratefully he agreed to one additional take that gave us what we needed to edit the scene together.”

What kid growing up in the ’80s didn’t love Pat Morita in his role as Mr. Kesuke Miyagi in The Karate Kid? And later children came to admire him once again as he portrayed the voice of the Emperor of China in Disney’s Mulan. But what many people might not know about this Academy Award–nominated actor is that he also appeared in a Latter-day Saint film about a small-town Pinewood Derby competition that gets a little out of hand. Morita plays the role of Ono Yakimoto, a Japanese business tycoon who becomes entangled in the competition.

Latter-day Saints were thrilled when they learned Disney—which is considered an obsession more than a company for many members—was going to carry a Hollywood film about a Latter-day Saint missionary, telling the fascinating true story of Elder John H. Groberg, who served in Tonga in the 1950s. Among the stars in this film were none other than Anne Hathaway, who later went on to win acclaim and an Academy, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globe award.

Image from TV Line

While Doc Brown (a.k.a. Christopher Lloyd) from Back to the Future may not have appeared in an LDS film, he did appear in a TV drama on BYUtv. The series, called Granite Flats, tells the story of a family living in the fictional town of Granite Flats, Colorado, in 1963. Once again, Lloyd portrayed an academic as he took on the character of Professor Stanfield Hargraves, an intelligent, witty, English teacher.

Image from Risen Magazine

John Rhys-Davies (who played Gimli in Lord of the Rings and Sallah in Indiana Jones) has had his fair share of interaction with Mormons. From performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their 2013 Christmas concert to playing the lead in a BYUtv holiday film, Winter Thaw, he has observed much of Mormon culture. In an interview with LDS Living, he said, "You're a strange community to us on the outside, but I find you very warm and very welcoming and very friendly—a considerate people. . . . You are an odd lot. But you make me welcome, and I like you . . . Some of the answers you have found are so interesting."

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Winter Thaw captures the classic story of Leo Tolstoy's "Where Love Is, There God Is Also," which tells the story of Martin Avdyeitch, a struggling cobbler embittered by the death of his wife and the estrangement of his son.

Image from The Daily Beast

Alongside Gary Coleman, Fred Willard stars in the Mormon movie Church Ball.Willard, who has appeared in a host of Hollywood comedies, is best known for his appearance on hit shows like Modern Family, Saturday Night Live, Everybody Loves Raymond, and more. In Church Ball, Willard plays Bishop Linderman, who tries to inspire his ward basketball team to reach new heights.

Image from TV Line

The first thing you might recognize about Edward Herrmann is his voice. As a popular narrator for The History Channel and PBS and a spokesman for Dodge, he has definitely developed his vocal talents, while also playing roles in Here Come the Munsters, Gilmore Girls, Annie, and The Great Gatsby.

But Herrmann has also performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their 2008 Christmas concert and in the 2012 movie Christmas Oranges, based on a beloved Christmas children's book. Herrmann plays the strict orphanage keeper, Mr. Crampton.

Image from IMDb

Most people recognize Cary Elwes from his role as Wesley in The Princess Bride. And since many Mormons are obsessed with The Princess Bride, it only makes sense that the movie's main actor would appear in a BYUtv production that drew quite the loyal following. Starring alongside Christopher Lloyd, Elwes plays the reoccurring character of Hugh Ashmead, a CIA counter-intelligence officer, in Granite Flats.

Image from tvguide.com

Many Latter-day Saints are familiar with the unforgettable story of Chris Williams, a Mormon father whose entire life changed when a drunk driver killed half of his family. But the most remarkable part of Williams' story was not his loss but his decision to forgive the young man whose actions had taken so much from him. While Williams' story was captured in an emotional Mormon Message, it was also portrayed in a feature-length film, Just Let Go, starring Emmy nominee Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, Scandal, The 100).

Check out this touching message Williams shared with the Mormon Channel:

► You'll also like: One LDS Man's Story of Tragedy and the Power of Forgiveness

Image from TV Guide

Greg Germann (Ally McBeal, Here Comes the Boom, Bolt) plays a small-town dad who suddenly gets in over his head when his son competes in the town's Pinewood Derby in the movie Down and Derby. While Germann's antics may get a little out of hand and over-the-top, it's a role many LDS fathers can relate to as they relive the glory days year after year with ward Pinewood Derbies.

Image from IMDb

Known for his roles as the Flash in Justice League: War and a blind special ops agent in Covert Affairs, Christopher Gorham's role as Elder John H. Groberg in Disney's The Other Side of Heaven stands out as unique among his lists of credits. Gorham appeared alongside Anne Hathaway in this movie that portrayed the life of an LDS missionary to audiences worldwide.

► You'll also like: How Being Hit by Lightning Led Mormon Mitch Davis to Create Disney's "The Other Side of Heaven"

Here are just a few more actors who have starred in LDS-themed movies:

Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H, Days of Our Lives, Superman) plays an Elders Quorum president in Worthy to Stand

Shawn Stevens (Days of Our Lives) stars in the LDS film Our Heavenly Father's Plan

Brenda Vaccaro (nominated for an Academy Award for Once Is Not Enough) also starred in Just Let Go

Robert Pine (CHiPs) plays a father who loses his daughter and later meets with missionaries in On the Way Home 

Lead images from IMDb