Prominent Latter-day Saint Non-Actors
Who Have Appeared in Movies

This is a list of Latter-day Saints (and/or Mormons) who are NOT actors, but who have appeared as actors in movies. This list includes people who appearedas themselves, or playing another character. This list does not include Latter-day Saints who have only appeared in documentaries.


Michael Ballam
BEST KNOWN AS: opera singer
MOVIES: Lead role as "Michael Chambers" in the direct-to-video feature film "Clubhouse Detectives" (1996). Played the Apostle Paul in a short film produced at BYU, "The Chosen Vessel" (1993).

Eldridge Cleaver
BEST KNOWN AS: Militant black activist. Minister of information for the Black Panther Party during 1960's.
MOVIE: Cleaver appears as himself, in archival footage, in the dramatic narrative film "Death of a Prophet" (1981)
[Cleaver also appears prominently in a number of major documentaries, including: All Power to the People (1996); Malcolm X (1972); One P.M. (1972); Eldridge Cleaver (1970); Black Panther (1969)]

Jack Dempsey
BEST KNOWN AS: champion boxer
MOVIES: Boxing legend Dempsey appeared as himself in a number of movies, including: Will He Conquer Dempsey? (1923); Mr. Broadway (1933); Off Limits (1953); Big City (1937); Stars Over Broadway (1935); Sweet Surrender (1935); The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). He had a cameo appearance as a reporter in "Damn Citizen" (1958). He even had the lead role playing the fictional character "Steve O'Dare" (a boxer) in the movie "Manhattan Madness" (1925).

Arthur Guy Empey
BEST KNOWN AS: popular author
MOVIES: Lead role in "Millionaire for a Day" (1921), "The Undercurrent" (1919) and "Over the Top" (1918).

Jewel Kilcher
BEST KNOWN AS: Singer/songwriter
MOVIES: Jewel is the lead actress (3rd billed role) in the epic Civil War film "Ride with the Devil" (1999), directed by Ang Lee.

Gladys Knight
BEST KNOWN AS: Singer, famed for her act "Gladys Knight and the Pips."
MOVIES: The singer has a supporting role as "Mona Lisa" in the 1987 TV movie "Desperado. Also appeared in small cameo roles in the movies "Twenty Bucks" (1993), "Wrestlemania IV" (1988) and "Pipe Dreams" (1976). She actually had a regular TV role as "Diana Richmond" on the series "Charlie & Co." (1985-1986). She has had a recurring role as Jamie's mother on multiple episodes of "The Jamie Foxx Show." She also played a recurring role ("Natalie") on three episodes of "New York Undercover." She has made numerous appearances, acting as herself as well as other characters, on a number of other TV series, including: Living Single; Baywatch; A Different World; Benson; The Jeffersons; The Muppet Show. Given all this acting experience, perhaps she Gladys Knight should not be classified as a "non-actor."

Carole Mikita
BEST KNOWN AS: TV news reporter
MOVIES: Cameo appearances as a reporter in the TV movies "Out of Annie's Past" (1995), "Double Jeopardy" (1992) and "Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View" (1992).

Gerald ("Jerry") Molen
BEST KNOWN AS: movie producer (credits include: Schindler's List; Jurassic Park; Twister; Minority Report; Rain Main; The Other Side of Heaven; etc.
MOVIES: Molen played the psychiatrist Dr. Bruner in "Rain Man" (1988), which was a fairly significant role. Played "Dr. Gerry Harding" in "Jurassic Park" (1993). Played a magistrate in "Amistad" (1997). Played Elder Groberg's first mission president in "The Other Side of Heaven" (2001). Played "Dr. Wilhaire" in "Days of Thunder" (1990).

John Pentecost
BEST KNOWN AS: the bishop of filmmaker Richard Dutcher
MOVIE: Has a supporting role as the mission president in Richard Dutcher's feature film "God's Army" (2000).

Natacha Rambova
BEST KNOWN AS: art director; costume designer; wife of actor Rudolph Valentino
MOVIES: Starred in the lead role in "What Price Beauty?" (1925) -- which she also wrote and produced -- and "When Love Grows Cold" (1925).

Mick Ronson
BEST KNOWN AS: Rock musician; David Bowie's guitarist
MOVIES: Starred with Ziggy Stardust in the rock and roll movie "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1973). Had a cameo appearance as a security guard in "Renaldo and Clara" (1978).

Steve Young
BEST KNOWN AS: professional football players; quarterback with the 49ers
MOVIES: Cameo appearances in the feature films "Singles Ward" (2002) and "Earth on Fire" (1997). TV series guest appearances on: Dharma & Greg; Wings; Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; Beverly Hills, 90210.


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Web page created 15 July 2002. Last modified 15 July 2002.