Famous Buddhists

This is something I found rather interesting the other day. Obviously the religion being new to the United States and one of the fastest growing means this list will grow. But at the same time, it makes sense because we in America are making the religion more personal than in Eastern nations. We feel that we can work to attain enlightenement without waiting until a future lifetime. (which doesn't make the work any easier - but it means we don't have to commit our lives to a monastery)


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When we have found names of additional famous Buddhists not listed on these other pages, or when we have created dedicated spiritual biography pages for these individuals, we have listed them here:

Richard Gere - actor, movie star
Ernestine Anderson - jazz singer
Laurie Anderson - performance artist
Kate Bosworth - actress
Orlando Bloom - actor
Susan Blackmore - parapsychologist, Zen Buddhist, ghost buster, professional skeptic
Cora L. E. Christian - Black female doctor who was an independent candidate for Governor of U.S. Virgin Islands, 2002.
Leonard Cohen - Canadian poet, novelist
Rob Cohen - film director
Dadon Dawadolma - singer, actress
Diane di Prima - Feminist poet
Nathaniel Dorsky - filmmaker
Frank Herbert - science fiction writer famous for Dune series
Becky Johnston - author, screenwriter
Phil Jackson - basketball coach
Jack Kerouac - poet, writer
George Lucas - film producer, director ("Star Wars")
Jennifer Lopez - singer, actress
Joanna Lumley - actress
Melissa Mathison - screenwriter
Tano Maeda - filmmaker
Me'shell Ndegeocello - musician, songwriter
Bruce Joel Rubin - screenwriter
Keanu Reeves - actor
Michael Stipe - musician
Oliver Stone - film director
Patti Smith - rock star
Steven Seagal - actor
Renee Tajima-Pena - filmmaker
Tina Turner - singer
Uma Thurman - actress
Babeth VanLoo - filmmaker
Gene Vincent - rockabilly musician
Mark Wahlberg - rap singer, actor
Ruby Wax - actress, comedienne
Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beasties) - rap singer