Elisabeth Moss is a widely celebrated actor. Her roles in shows like Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale have earned her acclaimed and captured significant audiences. For the most part, Moss doesn’t share information about her personal life with the public. But one thing fans do know about her is that she is a Scientologist.
The church and its followers have been involved in disturbing situations and accused of other terrible crimes. Despite the stigma that comes with believing in the words of L. Ron Hubbard, Moss remains a famous face for the religion and defends it and her commitment to it in interviews.
Elisabeth Moss was born into a Scientology family
Moss’ lifelong connections to Scientology were explored in a profile of the actor published in The New Yorker last year. Her parents joined the church before she was born. Their religion played a defining role in their careers. Ron Moss was a jazz trombonist who once played in a band with Ron Miscavige, whose son, David, is the current leader of Scientology. (Miscavige Sr. left the church in 2012 and passed away in 2021.)
He later became the tour manager for legendary jazz pianist and fellow Scientologist Chick Corea. The two also formed the record label Stretch Records in the 90s. Corea later cast a five-year-old Elisabeth Moss in a music video. (The video also includes cameos from other famous Scientologists John Travolta, Karen Black, and Al Jarreau.) Ron also managed the singer and actor Isaac Hayes, another follower of Scientology.
Elisabeth Moss followed in her parent’s footsteps. The church’s network has also informed her path to Hollywood. Moss has been managed by Gay Ribisi, the mother of actors Giovanni and Marissa Ribisi, who are all Scientologists. And while she was doing research for her part in the movie Her Smell, Moss spoke to the musician Beck, who was married to Marissa Ribisi at the time — but claims to have never been a part of the church.
Elisabeth Moss defends the religion, but doesn’t want it to overpower her career
Moss tries not to talk about Scientology in public to keep viewers focused on her performances more than her background. But on this occasion, she saw fit to defend the church. She claims it’s more wholesome than its public reputation suggests.
“It’s not really a closed-off religion. It’s a place that is very open to, like, welcoming in somebody who wants to learn more about it. I think that’s the thing that is probably the most misunderstood,” Moss said.
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It’s hard to square her religious affiliations with some of her most well-known work. The reported conduct of Scientologists towards any sort of questioning — threats of violence, counter-accusations against critics, forcing members to disconnect from their friends and families — has a lot in common with the acts of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale. Again, Moss firmly disagrees with this comparison.
“I would just encourage people to find out for themselves,” she says, a line she apparently repeated several times during the interview. “I’ve certainly been guilty of reading an article or watching something and taking that as gospel. And obviously, something like religious freedom and resistance against a theocracy is very important to me.”
Elisabeth Moss is beloved for her portrayal of pained women in tough situations
Many will take issue with Moss’ Scientology affiliation, but no one can argue that she isn’t an excellent actor. Her first notable role was in The West Wing as the President’s youngest daughter Zoey Bartlet. Moss was 17 when she debuted on the show. Then, her seven-year run as Peggy Olson in Mad Men set her up for a significant career going forward.
Many of the roles Moss chooses for herself tend to fall into a general archetype of women straining to move forward in spite of damage from previous experiences, mental illness, or the threat of male abusers.
Her gift for expressing the consequences of trauma is best seen in Shirley, The Invisible Man, or any of the three films she’s made with director Alex Ross Perry. Moss has also played detectives twice to great effect in Top of the Lake and Shining Girls, which she also produces. In addition to starring in The Handmaid’s Tale, Moss has also directed several episodes of the series.
The actor may be set for a new thematic direction. Moss was part of the ensemble in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch. Her next role is in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, which is scheduled for release on September 22.
