List of atheists (film, radio, television and theatre)

Film, radio, television and theatre

Allen

* Mary Adams (1898–1984): English producer and administrator in the BBC, instrumental in setting up the BBC's television service. ["She was a socialist, a romantic communist, and could charm with her charisma, spontaneity, and quick informed intelligence. She was a fervent atheist and advocate of humanism and common sense, accepting her stance without subjecting it to analysis." Sally Adams: 'Adams , Mary Grace Agnes (1898–1984)', "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30750] (accessed April 29, 2008).]
* Phillip Adams (1939–): Australian broadcaster, writer, film-maker, left-wing radical thinker and iconoclast. He was the Australian Humanist of the Year in 1987. [In a letter by Adams dated August 10, 1993: "I've spent a life-time attacking religious beliefs and have not wavered from a view of the universe that many would regard as bleak. Namely, that it is a meaningless place devoid of deitysic" [http://www.theabsolute.net/minefield/adams.html] .]
* Adithya (1974–): Indian actor. [ [http://infidel-man.blogspot.com/ "His blog"] ]
* Brandy Alexandre (1964–): American adult actress."I do not believe in God. There is too much science now that refutes the existence of a supreme creator, at least for me, and the miracles of old are easily explained today." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
*Woody Allen (1935-): American film director, writer, actor, comedian, and playwright. [ [http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Woody_Allen/ Woody Allen Quotes] ]
* Robert Altman (1925–2006): American film director, recognised in 2006 with an Academy Honorary Award. ["Still, it's worth noting that by the age of 20 this whistle-blower had resisted two of the most powerful institutions - church and army, both. He is an atheist, "And I have been against all of these wars ever since." " Suzie Mackenzie interviewing Altman, 'Still up to mischief', "The Guardian", May 1, 2004, Pg. 30.]
* Wil Anderson (1974–): Australian comedian, radio presenter, and former host of "The Glass House". ["Of course, Anderson has never avoided controversy, but this show promises to be his most contentious yet. As an out-and-proud atheist, he's asking, "If the world truly does have an intelligent design, why is everything so f---ed?"—Lallo, Michael (April 5, 2007), [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/in-your-face/2007/04/04/1175366249867.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 Wil to Succeed] , "The Age", Fairfax Media. Retrieved November 15, 2007.]
* Asia Argento (1973–): Italian television and film actress, film director, and model. ["God is a concept by which we can measure our pain. I just believe in me. Yoko and me. And that's reality. The dream is over. What can I say?" [http://www.odetoazia.com/media/fanqawithasia.php Fan Q&A with Asia] ]
* Joan Bakewell CBE (1933–): English television presenter and journalist. ["What has stayed with me is the need for and love of ritual, the language of the authorised version of the Bible, the liturgy of the Anglican services, the beauty of its places of worship, the music and painting created to celebrate Christianity's central mystery. I think I remain to this day an unbelieving Anglican.None of this is rational, or particularly logical. It is how religion happens: a heap of childhood influence, a questing mind as the search begins, a failure to find new or surprising answers, a sound respect for the minds that once shaped doctrine and then the settling for a quiet and untroubled agnosticism. It is merely a timid temperament that inhibits me from declaring a bold, defiant atheism.
Mine has been an outlook evolved from its time, growing from a particular period of history of absolutes and certainties. Everything shifted for devoutly held faith when schools began teaching comparative religion. From then on, the game was up. If each religion, it was now taught, has its own legitimacy, its own beliefs and concept of the divine, what is to say whether one is any better than another?" Joan Bakewell, 'Portrait: Just 70', "The Guardian" (London), February 20, 2004, G2: Guardian Features Pages, Pg. 7.]
* Javier Bardem (1969–): Spanish actor and former rugby player best known for his roles in "Jamón, Jamón" and "No Country For Old Men".cite news | quote="I don't believe in God," | last =Hohenadel| first =Kristin| title ='Don't Call Me Actor,' says a Nominee for Best, Um...| pages=2A.3| publisher =The New York Times| date =2001-03-04]
* Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923): French stage actress referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world". She was asked by French composer Charles Gounod if she ever prayed. Bernhadt replied "No, never. I'm an atheist".cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Paul Bettany (1971–): English actor, known for his roles in "A Knight's Tale", "A Beautiful Mind", "", and "The Da Vinci Code". ["I was brought up Catholic. I'm lapsed. From the age of three I was with the nuns. Now I'm an atheist. I think religion does a lot for us but I can't quite believe it, alas... It's just a personal choice. I love the idea of heaven though. Who doesn't? It's lovely." Paul Bettany, [http://www.pr-inside.com/bettany-the-non-believer-r4665.htm Bettany the Non-Believer] , Movie & Entertainment News, WENN.com, May 10, 2006 (accessed June 10, 2008).]
* Danny Boyle (1956–): English film director and film producer, best known for his works on films such as "Trainspotting", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine". [" [...] I imagine part of that is a religious experience as well, even for me who superficially I'm an atheist." [http://www.horror.com/php/article-1656-1.html Danny Boyle & Brian Cox Interview] ]
* Orla Brady (1961–): Irish actress. [Brady had a Catholic upbringing but now considers herself an atheist. cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Brannon Braga (1965–): American TV producer and writer, creator of "". [cite web
author =
url = http://www.sidmennt.is/archives/2006/16/08/every_religion_has_a_mythology.php
title = Every religion has a mythology
date = August 16, 2006
publisher = Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association
accessdate = 2006-12-19] Dead link|date=August 2008
* Jim Broadbent (1949–): English Academy Award-, Golden Globe- and BAFTA-winning theatre, film and television actor. ["Does the prospect of his own inevitable death frighten him? 'I don't think it does. I don't fret about it. I think it was partly to do with seeing my father go. It didn't frighten him. Upset him a bit but not ... I think if you are an atheist, what's there to be frightened of? ... But I don't want to die yet.' " Nigel Farndale, 'The Heartbreak Kid: Jim Broadbent', "Sunday Telegraph", September 23, 2007, Section 7, Pg.8.]
* Jeremy Brock (1959–): British actor, producer, writer, and director, whose work includes "Mrs. Brown" and the BAFTA award winning screenplay for "The Last King of Scotland". [" Nor does organised religion emerge with honour, and Brock says he has been an atheist for many years. "My father was an intelligent and articulate advocate for old-fashioned notions of kindness and liberalism, but in the end I just did not feel that loving him was a justification for believing in a whole theocratic system. Religion in certain circles has become increasingly exclusive and aggressive. Fundamentalist attitudes pervade, and that, in its most extreme form, means you can kill anybody you want to because they're an unbeliever." " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/08/18/bfdriving18.xml A very British charmer] , "Daily Telegraph" August 18, 2006 (accessed April 22, 2008).]
* Charlie Brooker (1971–): British writer and satirist best known for his TV show "Screenwipe". ["Yeah, that's right. I'm an atheist defending moderate Christians. Wanna make something of it?" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/aug/23/television.charliebrooker?gusrc=rss&feed=media] . "The Guardian" August 23, 2008]
* Derren Brown (1971–): English psychological illusionist, mentalist, and skeptic of paranormal phenomena. Professed to being an atheist in his book "Tricks of the Mind" and described Bertrand Russell's collection of essays "Why I Am Not a Christian" "an absolute joy."
* Luis Buñuel (1900–1983): Spanish film-maker, activist of the surrealist movement. Known for his one-liner, "Thank God I'm still an atheist." ["Father Julian... and I often talk about faith and the existence of God, but... he's forever coming up against the stone wall of my atheism..." Luis Bunuel (1982, 1985). "My Last Breath": p.254.]
* Gabriel Byrne (1950–): Irish actor and film producer, star of over thirty-five films including "The Usual Suspects", "Miller's Crossing", and "Stigmata". ["I spent five years in the seminary and I suppose it was assumed that you had a vocation. I have realised subsequently that I didn't have one at all. I don't believe in God. But I did believe at the time in this notion that you were being called." ' [http://www.secularism.org.uk/79004.html Coming out as atheist: Noel Gallagher & Gabriel Byrne] ', National Secular Society (accessed July 15, 2008).]
* Peter Caffrey (1949–2008): Irish actor, best known for playing Padraig O'Kelly in Series 1-4 of "Ballykissangel". ["Born in Dublin in 1949, Caffrey enjoyed acting in school plays but subsequently went to a seminary for two years with a view to becoming a priest (he later played one in Coronation Street). He came out an atheist and studied English at University College, Dublin, before teaching at a primary school for a year." Anthony Hayward, 'Peter Caffrey; Padraig in 'Ballykissangel' ', "The Independent" (London), January 4, 2008, Obituaries, Pg. 42.]
* Simon Callow (1949–): English stage, film and television actor. [cite web|url= http://www.secularism.org.uk/newsline.html?df=20060505| title= Coming Out as Atheist: Simon Callow |publisher= secularism.org.uk]
* Dean Cameron (1962–): American television and film actor known for his role as Francis "Chainsaw" Gremp in the 1987 Mark Harmon comedy "Summer School"."I don't believe in God, Satan, angels, an afterlife, a creator, or any of those dangerous myths. I trust in science, objective truth, wonder, and mankind." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Richard Carleton (1943–2006): Current affairs journalist for Australia's "60 Minutes". [Described as a "devout atheist" in [http://bulletin.syd.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=141062 Richard Carleton 1943-2006 - The death of a legendary journalist] - The Bulletin, May 16, 2006.]
* Adam Carolla (1964–): American comedic radio personality and television personality, best known for co-hosting the radio program "Loveline" and the television series "The Man Show". [ [http://adamradio.wordpress.com/2006/02/10/adam-with-jeff-probst-and-louis-ck/ "The Adam Carolla Show Blog"] , February 10, 2006]
* Asia Carrera (1973–): Former American pornographic actress. ["So me, the completely unsuperstitious atheist, goes and posts on a message board that 'no, I don't believe in bad luck on Friday the 13th'." cite web |url=http://www.asiacarrera.com/bulletin.html |title=Asia Carrera's official website, bulletin for July 13, 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070813201924/www.asiacarrera.com/bulletin.html |archivedate=2007-08-13 (archived August 29, 2007)]
* Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973): English actor, playwright and composer of popular music. [Reviewing "The Letters of Noel Coward" edited by Barry Day, Simon Callow noted: "His unashamed patriotism galvanised the nation. One wonders whether these admirers would have laughed so heartily or wept so freely if they had thought that they were being entertained and moved by a homosexual atheist of the most militant kind. A letter to his mother on the early death of his brother out-Dawkinses Dawkins: "I'm saying several acid prayers to a fat contented God the Father in a dirty night gown who hates you and me and every living creature in the world." " "The Guardian", December 15, 2007, Review pages, Pg. 7.]
* David Cronenberg (1943–): Canadian film director, one of the principal originators of the 'body horror' genre. ["Cronenberg's parents were atheists who encouraged him to experiment spiritually, convinced that sooner or later he'd find his own path to godlessness. And he did. This lack of belief, which became a belief system in itself, informs so much of his work: the primacy of the body, the finality of death, the lack of consolation. "It was apparent to me that religion was an invented thing," he says, "a wish-fulfilment thing, a fantasy thing. It was much more real, dangerous, to accept that mortality was the end for you as an individual. As an atheist, I don't believe in an afterlife, so if you're thinking of murder, if your subject is murder, then that's a physical act of absolute destruction because you're ending something, a body, that is unique. That person never existed before, will never exist again, will not be karmically recycled, will not go to heaven, therefore I take it seriously." " Simon Hattenstone interviewing Cronenberg, ' [http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,2184648,00.html Gentleman's relish] ', "The Guardian", October 6, 2007 (accessed June 9, 2008).]
* Mackenzie Crook (1971–): English actor and comedian, known for playing Gareth Keenan in "The Office" and Ragetti in "Pirates of the Caribbean". ["I don't believe in life after death. I'm a staunch atheist and I know when I die that will be it, I'll just blink out of existence. It's not an incredibly comforting thought but I'm completely at peace with that idea and it just makes me appreciate this life all the more. It's almost a panic to get as much done and to have as much experience as possible." Mackenzie Crook interviewed by Teddy Jamieson, "The Herald" (Glasgow), April 19, 2008, Magazine, Pg. 12.]
* Adrianne Curry (1982–): American model, television host, and film actress, well-known as the winner of the modelling competition "America's Next Top Model". [ [...] The argument continued in the next episode, when atheist Adrianne, commenting on the apartment's cleanliness, said, "The Christians think they're better than everybody and they're holier than thou. But I clean up their messes all the time." [http://www.wga.org/organizesub.aspx?id=1095 God and Woman at America's Next Top Model] , John Bowman] ]
* Alan Davies (1966–): English comedian, writer and actor. ["Why do people believe all this stuff, Stephen? (...) Bronze age mythology and they believe it all! (...) Why do they believe it all? Can't they just go: 'all that was mad. I thought it was true for a minute'" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zHcBF-g7-c&eurl=http://hassers.blogspot.com/2008/07/qis-stephen-fry-puts-religion-in-its.html] retrieved August 16, 2008]
* Russell T Davies (1963–): Welsh television producer and writer, most famous for reviving "Doctor Who" on British television. ["As writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, Davies often plays with religious imagery (from a cross-shaped space station to robot angels with halos), but he's a fervent believer in [Richard] Dawkins. "He has brought atheism proudly out of the closet!" " [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/russell-t-davies-return-of-the-tea-time-lord-805255.html Russell T Davies: Return of the (tea) Time Lord] , "The Independent", April 6, 2008 (accessed April 7, 2008)]
* Terence Davies (1945–): English screenwriter, film director, actor and novelist. ["A fervently Roman Catholic child - he talks of his "dogged piety" and of "years wasted in useless prayer" - Davies has now embraced atheism with a born-again zeal." Wendy Ide, 'A regret-filled love letter to a changing city', "The Times" (London), May 20, 2008, Features, Pg. 23.]
* William B. Davis (1938–): Canadian actor, known for his role as the Cigarette Smoking Man in "The X-Files". [Interviewed by American Atheist "AA: You're a second generation Atheist. While in college, did you have a skeptical attitude toward the paranormal? Was it something you thought about at the time? DAVIS: I was always skeptical of ghosts, or aliens, or whatever it might be." [http://www.americanatheist.org/win01-02/T1/goeringer.html American Atheist Interview with William B. Davis] (accessed April 14, 2008)]
* Andrew Denton (1960–): Australian comedian and television presenter host of the ABC's weekly interview program "Enough Rope". ["Gentleman, frankly I'm an atheist,..." [http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1422395.htm Enough Rope] ', 25 July 2005.]
* Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992): German-born Amercan actress, singer and entertainer. She is considered to be the first German actress to flourish in Hollywood."I have given up belief in a God." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Stanley Donen (1924–): American film director, best known for his musicals including "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Singin' in the Rain"; awarded honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. [Stephen M. Silverman, "Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies", Alfred A. Knopf: New York (1996), page 312.]
* Amanda Donohoe (1962–): English film, stage and television actress. [Speaking about her role in the film The Lair of the White Worm, Donohoe said: "I'm an atheist, so it was actually a joy. Spitting on Christ was a great deal of fun. I can't embrace a male god who has persecuted female sexuality throughout the ages. And that persecution still goes on today all over the world." [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000372/bio Biography of Amanda Donohoe] , Internet Movie Database (accessed April 24, 2008).]
* Natalie Dormer (1982–): English film and television actress. ["I’m an atheist but I wouldn’t mind being visited by a ghost, I’d be open to the experience." [http://thetudorsnews.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/tudors-beauty-nude-scenes-were-harrowing/ Tudors beauty: Nude scenes were harrowing (interview with Natalie Dormer] ]
* John Doyle (1953–): Australian comedian, actor and writer, famous as "Rampaging" Roy Slaven in the comedy duo Roy & HG. ["Well, if humans are to develop as a species, we have to stand on our own two feet. If we do not do that, then we are destined to repeat the errors of history, we are destined to repeat the problems ... hhhh [sigh] ... we see emerging, the Zeitgeist that's blowing through on either sides of the divide at the moment. This is destined to repeat itself, unless we can evolve towards a secular, moral compass, that enables us to respect each other, and respect our ideas, and respect the accidental, biological genius of humankind, that has come about largely not through design, but through accident, and not to piss it up against the wall by demeaning ourselves into imagining that there is some divine master plan that gives the earth and gives the world 'sense'..., if we can accept that all we have is each other, that's all we have, then we may respect each other a little more. Impossible, utterly impossible, but you can only try, you can only try." [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bigideas/stories/2006/1681388.htm The Songlines Conversations: John Doyle] show transcript, 9 July 2006]
* Christopher Eccleston (1964–): English stage, film and television actor, known for his roles in "Shallow Grave", "28 Days Later", and as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in "Doctor Who". ["I'm an atheist. My mother is very religious, a churchgoer. She would often encourage me to go to church as well, but never forced it upon me, which I thought was quite decent of her. [...] There was no definining moment in which I decided there was no god for me, it was more of a growing process. I do feel that whatever religious beliefs I had as a child were foisted upon me. It's like when you ask where Grandma went when she died, and you'd be told that she went to heaven. I wouldn't necessarily view that as a bad thing, but it was stuff like that which I think hindered my intellectual development. Now that I've grown, I prefer a different interpretation." Christopher Eccleston, "The Heaven and Earth Show", BBC1, Sunday April 3, 2005, 10:30.]
* David Edgar (1948–): British playwright, noted for his adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel Nicholas Nickleby. ["Earlier this year David Edgar wrote an unforgettable account of the death of his wife, Eve Cook, for a BBC radio talk during Easter week. An avowed atheist, Edgar said that he was trying to express 'that most human need to tell the dead what we would want to say - but know we couldn't say - if they were still alive'." Sean French, 'Dust to dustjacket', "The Guardian", April 30, 1999, Pg. 18.]
* Frances Farmer (1913–1970): American film, television and theater actress. ["I wondered a little why God was such a useless thing. It seemed a waste of time to have him. After that he became less and less, until he was . . . nothingness."cite web|url= http://ffrf.org/day/?day=19&month=9#farmer|title= Freethought of the Day|publisher= ffrf.com]
* Diane Farr (1969–): American actress perhaps best known for her role as FBI agent Megan Reeves in the television CBS series "NUMB3RS". ["For Lent, when I was younger, I gave up "Happy Days". Now I'm an atheist." [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-f.htm] ]
* Harvey Fierstein (1962—): American Tony award-winning actor, playwright, and Emmy-nominated screenwriter best known for his work in the "Torch Song Trilogy".cite news | quote="I mean, I don't believe in God, I don't believe in heaven or hell, but I pray three or four times a day." | last =McKinley| first =Jesse| title =Fierstein As Tevye: Sounds Crazy, No?| pages=2.5| publisher =The New York Times| date =2005-01-02]
* Brian Flemming (1966–): American film director and playwright, notable for his 2005 film "The God Who Wasn't There". [Interviewer: "At what point did you realize you were an atheist?" Flemming: "I kind of realized it gradually. At first it was like, OK, clearly fundamentalist Christianity is wrong, but Christianity is probably right. Then the more I actually thought about it, the more I deduced my way to atheism." [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2006/02/13/findrelig.DTL Finding My Religion] , SF Gate ("San Francisco Chronicle"), February 13, 2006 (accessed April 14, 2008).]
* Dave Foley (1963–): Canadian actor best known for his work in "The Kids in the Hall" and "NewsRadio". [ [http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Dave_Foley Celebrity Atheist List] , excerpt from Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect, aired October 10, 2000]
* Sir Denis Forman (1917–): British Director (1949–1954) and later Chair (1971–1973) of The British Film Institute, Chairman and Managing Director of Granada Television, and Director of the Royal Opera House in London. ["The more significant was Granada's "Adam Smith" the following year, with Keir as a bereaved Church of Scotland minister seeking the meaning of life. Though written by Trevor Griffiths under a nom-de-plume, it owed much of its character to Sir Denis Forman, by this time Granada's chairman and himself a son of the manse - Adam was his father's first name. Sir Denis is also a convinced atheist, and the series, which at first went out on Sunday evenings as a religious offering, became so doubting that it had to be switched to an ordinary outlet." Philip Purser, 'Obituary: Andrew Keir', "The Guardian", October 7, 1997, Pg. 14.]
* Jodie Foster (1962–): American film actress, director, and producer. Two-time Academy Award-winner. [cite news | title=Jodie Foster: Unbreakable | work = Entertainment Weekly | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20051361_20051365_20054140_3,00.html | date = 2007-09-07 | accessdate = 2007-12-29 | quote = EW: Are you religious? JF: No, I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love religions and the rituals. Even though I don't believe in God.]
* Nick Frost (1972–): Award-winning English actor, comedian and writer. ["The Omen is one of my favorites. Even though I'm an atheist now, I was brought up Catholic and can remember thinking that it could actually be real!"cite web|url= http://www.dvdverdict.com/interviews/shaundead| title= Night Of The Laughing Dead: An Interview With Shaun Of The Dead Writer/Actor Simon Pegg And Co-Star Nick Frost|publisher= dvdverdict.com]
* Stephen Fry (1957–): British humourist, writer, actor and filmmaker. [ [http://richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=401112 "Richarddawkins.net forum"] , September 12, 2007] "I knew I couldn't believe in God, because I was fundamentally Hellenic in my outlook." cite book | last = Fry | first = Stephen | title = Moab is my washpot | publisher = Arrow books | year = 2004 (1997) | pages = p.382 | isbn=9780099457046] [Simon Amstell: "Is there a God?" Stephen Fry: "No", "Never Mind the Buzzcocks", BBC2, 9 October 2008]
* Paul Giamatti (1967–): American film and television actor.cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title="I never saw Russell lose it on set..."|pages=|publisher=TotalFilm.com|date=2006-02-08| quote=I’m an atheist... |accessdate =2007-03-03]
* Richard E. Grant (1957–): British actor perhaps most well known for portraying the world-weary, drug-crazed alcoholic Withnail in "Withnail and I". ["I don’t waste any time thinking about the beyond, reincarnation or whether or not we are transported to another realm. I try to live life from moment to moment. What happens next doesn’t occupy a single atom of thought... I took a comparative religion course when I was at university to get an overview, but it had no impact whatsoever. As far as I’m concerned, Darwin has come up with the best theory of how, when and why we are here — nothing else has convinced me otherwise."cite web|url= http://www.secularism.org.uk/comingoutasatheistricharde.grant.html| title= Coming Out as Atheist: Richard E. Grant|publisher= secularism.org.uk]
* Eva Green (1980–): Award-winning French actress and model, notable for her roles in "Casino Royale" and "The Golden Compass". ["I have no religion. I wasn't raised that way, and I have nothing now" - Eva Green to "Total Film" magazine. December, 2007.]
* Seth Green (1974–): American actor, comedian, voice actor, and televison producer. [In a 2000 interview he said, "God is, to me, pretty much an idea. God is, to me, pretty much a myth created over time to deny the idea that we're all responsible for our own actions".cite web | last = Thompson | first = Stephen | title = Is there a God? | publisher = Onion Inc. | date = 2000-09-06 | url = http://www.avclub.com/content/node/24504 | accessdate = 2007-11-24 ]
* Peter Greenaway, CBE (1942–): Welsh-born English film director. ["My films show that I am a true atheist, although I always had the highest marks in Religious Education" [http://www.hu-berlin.de/ueberblick/leitung/praesident/rede/rede_greenaway] retrieved January 15, 2008]
* Rachel Griffiths (1968–): Australian Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated film and television actress."Although I'm not a Christian, I was raised Christian. I'm an atheist, with a slight Buddhist leaning." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Kamal Haasan (1954–): Indian film actor and film director, considered among the leading method actors of Indian cinema. [" [Kamal Haasan] is a self-professed rationalist, atheist, activist, and a follower of Periyar."cite web|url= http://www.bollywoodsargam.com/hollywood_news.php?newsstory=29427377--0-latest-Kamal_Haasan_turns_51_on_Monday_November_7_hollywood_news.html|title= Kamal Haasan turns 51 on Monday, November 7|publisher= bollywoodsargam.com]
* Tony Hancock (1924–1968): British actor and comedian, star of the popular "Hancock's Half Hour". [Reviewing "When the Wind Changed: The Life and Death of Tony Hancock" by Cliff Goodwin, Michael Mellow wrote: "No diary is left unopened to reconstruct the complex life of a man whose public appearance was 'shabbily endearing' but who was privately a superstitious but philosophical atheist, prone to violence and depression. This is exhaustive, but never exhausting, with plenty of light relief in the form of transcribed interviews and sketches." "The Observer", November 19, 2000, Review Pages, Pg. 14.]
* Sir David Hare (1947–): Award-winning English dramatist and theatre and film director. [Reviewing Hare's collection "Obedience, Struggle and Revolt", Nicholas Blincoe noted: "Hare's willingness to engage openly with traditions and institutions he respects can be heard in his speeches about Osborne and Williams, and in a speech to the Anglican Church, delivered at Westminster Abbey [...] the address to the Church is openly atheist." 'Turning his back on revolution', "Daily Telegraph", August 6, 2005, Books section, Pg. 004.]
* Nina Hartley (1959–): American pornographic actress, film director, author and sex educator."I believe strongly in the heritage of Jews as educators. I feel very proud of the fact that if it weren't for the Jews, half the world would still be illiterate. I would like to know about Jewish religion as history, but as an atheist, I see no reason to practice any religion... because it is organized superstition... the opiate of the masses." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Amber Heard (1986–): American film and television actress. ["But this Austin high school dropout (who went on to get a diploma through a home-study program) soon reveals herself to be a well-read young woman who despises television and declared herself an atheist after losing her best friend in a car crash." [http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-05-29-amber-heard_N.htm Amber Heard will be heard] ]
* Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003): American actress who appeared in 53 films from 1932 to 1994; winner of four Academy Awards for Best Actress. [Hepburn stated "I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for people" in the October 1991 issue of "Ladies' Home Journal" [http://atheism.about.com/b/a/2003_06_29.htm] ]
* Kenny Hotz (1973–): Canadian comedian, filmaker, actor, producer, director, photographer and co-star of the Canadian television show "Kenny vs. Spenny". ["My parents are Jewish, but I don’t really care about it. I’m pretty well atheist, I guess."cite web|url= http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/07/28/jesus-sucks-tv-duo-s-banner-tells-toronto.aspx|title= ‘Jesus sucks,’ TV duo's banner tells Toronto|publisher= nationalpost.com]
* John Huston (1906–1987): American Academy Award-winning film director and actor, especially known for the classic films "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", "Key Largo", "The African Queen", "The Misfits" and "The Man Who Would Be King". ["That character had such a weird internal life." What help could Huston give you? "Not much. I was on my own there. I think Huston was baffled by the script, which was very Catholic, whereas he was a devout atheist." Brad Dourif interviewed by Ryan Gilbey, 'How Weird is Brad?', "The Independent" (London), December 20, 2002, Features, Pg. 12.]
* Jamie Hyneman (1956–): American visual effects expert, best known as the co-host of the television series "Mythbusters". [On December 12, 2006, in an interview on [http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticality/042_skepticality.mp3 Skepticality] , the official podcast of Skeptic Magazine, Hyneman said, " [A] ctually I'm pretty adamant about, you know, the whole God thing and it seems that skeptics are by and large atheists or something approaching that, which I strongly identify with. So it turned out to be a good thing and I have become enthusiastically part of it."]
* Clive James AM (1939–): Australian expatriate author, poet, critic, memoirist, travel writer and cultural commentator, though perhaps best known as a talk show host and television presenter. [Talking to Richard Dawkins, James said: "... and it leaves you feeling good, which I suppose is something that religions have always tried to do. Let me get into that now, because, I'm an atheist myself, but it's not something that I would make a point of, because to me it seems perfectly obvious. But it didn't seem obvious to the man who was in charge of the Kogarah Presbyterian Church when I was in the Bible class, and when he found out that I had become an atheist he thought I was condemning myself and my family to the flames, he reacted very badly, but it just did seem to me very clear." [http://richarddawkins.net/article,3123,Discussion-between-Richard-Dawkins-and-Clive-James,Richard-Dawkins-Clive-James-Edinburgh-Book-Festival Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Clive James] , Edinburgh Book Festival, August 2008.]
* Penn Jillette (1955–): American magician, co-host of the television show "Bullshit!". [http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0305almanac.htm Interview with Penn Jillette] . in which he mentions his and Teller's atheism.] He has also taken the Blasphemy Challenge.
* Sarah Kane (1971–1999): English playwright. ["Sarah became an atheist, her writing fired by the cruelties carried out in the name of God. "God, the bastard," was one of her favourite Beckett quotes. "I think she looked at the world around her, and thought it was unsustainable to think there is an all-powerful, all-caring God who made the world as it is," says Simon [Kane, her brother] ." Simon Hattenstone, 'A Sad Hurrah', "The Guardian", July 1, 2000, Pg. 26.]
* Jonathan Katz (1946–): American comedian, actor, and voice actor who is best known for his starring role in the animated sitcom "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist". When asked by Bill Maher on the talk show "Politically Incorrect" if he was an atheist, Katz responded "Yes. And my parents were atheists".
* Skandar Keynes (1991–): English actor ("Chronicles of Narnia" films). ["28.Do you have a religion and if so what is it? I am an Atheist. I know the film's really Christian and everything but it doesn’t really affect me. Oh and you know I’m related to Charles Darwin." [http://www.narniafans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5386&page=2] ]
* Rajeev Khandelwal (1975–): Indian Television actor. ["I love to call myself an atheist. By atheist, I don't mean I would stand up and start delivering speeches on the non-existence of God. I am the kind of person who doesn't like wasting time on visiting religious places or performing rituals. They don't help me in any way." Rajeev Khandelwal, ' [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifestyle/Spirituality/Mind_over_Matter/I_AM_Rajeev_Khandelwal_/articleshow/3111030.cms I Am] ', "The Times of India", 10 Jun 2008 (accessed June 10, 2008).]
* Margot Kidder (1948–): Canadian-American film and television actress best known for playing Lois Lane in the "Superman" movies of the 1970s and 1980s."Once I stayed up for three weeks in a row because I felt I was called upon to write a new religion for women. I was reading all these books, including the Bible... and I'm an atheist." cite book | last = Allen Smith | first = Warren | title = Celebrities in Hell: A Guide to Hollywood's Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free Thinkers, and More | publisher = Barricade Books Inc. | year = 2002 | pages = 130 | isbn=1569802149]
* Michael Kinsley (1951–): American political journalist, commentator, and television host. ["Although Hitchens’s title refers to God, his real energy is in the subtitle: “religion poisons everything.” Disproving the existence of God (at least to his own satisfaction and, frankly, to mine) is just the beginning for Hitchens..."—cite web | last=Kinsley | first=Michael | authorlink=Michael Kinsley | date= May 13, 2007 | title=In God, Distrust | work=New York Times | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/books/review/Kinsley-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&ref=books&oref=slogin | accessdate=2007-05-17]
* Jerzy Kawalerowicz (1922–2007): Polish film director. ["Kawalerowicz, a professed atheist, had no interest in demonology per se, only as a symbol of repressed sexuality and of the power of authority, be it the Roman Catholic Church or - though it is never spelt out - Communism." 'Obituary of Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish director of 'Mother Joan of the Angels' who fell out with his fellow film-makers over the Solidarity movement', "Daily Telegraph", January 1, 2008, Pg. 23.]
* Jan Kott (1914–2001): Polish theatre theoretician and influential critic. ["Arguably the world's most influential theatre critic, Jan Kott was a man of glittering contradictions - Don Juan and globetrotter, atheist and Jew, anarchist and Communist - and a controversially brilliant polemicist. Fascinated by the dark side of the psyche, he adhered consistently to his own brand of enlightened rationalism, studying Jacques Maritain and the Thomists, and empathising with Andre Breton and Surrealism." Nina Taylor-Terlecka, 'Obituary: Jan Kott, "The Independent" (London), January 9, 2002, Pg. 6.]
* Burt Lancaster (1913–1994): American Academy Award-winning film actor. ["A self-described atheist, Lancaster had turned down the role in the remake of "Ben-Hur" (1959) played by Charlton Heston, but followed in Heston's footsteps when he played the title role in "Moses the Lawgiver" [...] . When a reporter asked him if he was following in Heston's sandal-clad steps, Lancaster replied, "If Charlton was trapped in Biblical films, it was his own fault - he accepted the limitation." Though Lancaster claimed he was an atheist, some of his friends doubted him." [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000044/bio Biography for Burt Lancaster] , The Internet Movie Database (accessed June 9, 2008).]
* Hugh Laurie OBE (1959–): English actor, comedian and writer, star of the television show House. ["I don't believe in God, but I have this idea that if there were a God, or destiny of some kind looking down on us, that if he saw you taking anything for granted he’d take it away. So he'll be like: 'You think this is going pretty well?' Then he'll go and send down some big disaster." [http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/340858.html Stargazing: Heather's angry, Jane is ill, Hugh is anxious] Dead link|date=August 2008, "Kansas City Star", Wed, Oct. 31, 2007 (accessed November 1, 2007).]
* Nigella Lawson (1960–): English journalist, food writer, broadcaster and television presenter. ["I was brought up an atheist and have always remained so. But at no time was I led to believe that morality was unimportant or that good and bad did not exist. I believe passionately in the need to distinguish between right and wrong and am somewhat confounded by being told I need God, Jesus or a clergyman to help me to do so. More: I'm offended. And one is constantly being told how offensive is a lack of faith to believers." Nigella Lawson, 'We atheists know right from wrong', "The Times", June 26, 1996, Features section.]
* Bruce Lee (1940–1973): Martial artist and philosopher. When asked in 1972 if he believed in God, he responded, "To be perfectly frank, I really do not."cite book | last = Little | first = John | title = The Warrior Within - The philosophies of Bruce Lee to better understand the world around you and achieve a rewarding life | publisher = Contemporary Books | year = 1996 | pages = 122 | isbn=0809231948]
* Tom Leykis (1956–): American radio talk-show host. ["The Seattle Times" article confirming that Leykis hosts a radio segment called "Ask the Atheist" [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002015770_leykis26.html] .]
* Rebecca Lord (1973–): French pornographic actress. [http://www.lacochonne.com/interviews/rebecca-lord-france.html "Rebecca Lord] (interview), "La Cochonne" (website), 2004. fr icon]
* Kevin Macdonald (1967–): Scottish two-time BAFTA winning director, most famous for his films "The Last King of Scotland" and "Touching the Void". ["An atheist himself, Macdonald describes "Touching the Void" as a religious film in a post-religious age. 'It is about realising there is nothing but the void. Uncaring nature. Emptiness.' " Nigel Farndale interviewing Kevin Macdonald, "Sunday Telegraph", January 7, 2007, Section 7, Pg. 18.]
* Seth MacFarlane (1973–): Creator, animator, executive producer, actor, writer for "American Dad" and "Family Guy". ["I do not believe in God. I'm an atheist. I consider myself a critical thinker, and it fascinates me that in the 21st century most people still believe in, as George Carlin puts it, 'the invisible man living in the sky' " - Seth MacFarlane to "" magazine. October 18, 2007 [http://www.pagesix.com/story/let+it+ride] ] Dead link|date=August 2008 [cite news | first=Brandon | last=Voss | coauthors= | title=Big Gay Following: Seth MacFarlane | date=2008-02-28 | publisher=Planet Out, Incorporated | url =http://www.advocate.com/issue_story.asp?id=51793&page=1 | work =The Advocate | pages = | accessdate = 2008-02-03 | quote = ...I'm an atheist... | language = ]
* John Malkovich (1953–): Emmy Award-winning American actor, producer and director. ["I'm an atheist." John Malkovich "The Age" interview (Australia), April 25, 2003, Magazine.]
* Paul Mazursky (1930–): American director, producer and actor. [cite news | quote=I’ve always felt very Jewish but very ambivalent about being Jewish. I’m an atheist. | last =Farber| first =Stephen| coauthors=| title =A Night in Hollywood, a Day in Ukraine| pages=| publisher =The New York Times| date =2006-12-31 | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/movies/31farb.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin| accessdate =2006-12-31 ]
* Sir Ian McKellen (1939–): English stage and screen actor. ["I was brought up a Christian, low church, and I like the community of churchgoing. That's rather been replaced for me by the community of people I work with. I like a sense of family, of people working together. But I'm an atheist. So God, if She exists, isn't really a part of my life." - from a January 19, 1996 profile by Tim Appelo found in Mr. Showbiz.]
* Butterfly McQueen (1911–1995): American actress, most famous as Prissy, the young maid in "Gone with the Wind". ["As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion." A lifelong atheist, she donated her body to medical science and remembered the Freedom From Religion Foundation in her will.]
* Stephen Merchant (1974–): British actor and writer, co-creator of "The Office". ["No, I don't believe in God" cite episode|title=Series 1, Episode 2|series=The Ricky Gervais Show|airdate=2005-12-12] ["I've been reading Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion". It's his polemic against religion and even for an avowed atheist like myself, it's quite strong." Citation|last=|first=Stephen|author-link = Stephen Merchant|title = Office Boy|newspaper=Q|year=2007|date=May 2007]
* George Meyer (1956–): American television producer and writer, notably for "The Simpsons". "As I was saying before, it was so hard for me to be a Catholic. It wound my spring almost to the breaking point. The spring is still uncoiling from those early years. I'm a thoroughly virulent atheist." [http://www.believermag.com/issues/200409/?read=interview_meyer September 2004 Interview in The Believer] ]
* Helen Mirren (1945–): English stage, television and Oscar-winning film actress. ["Sometimes I feel like a farmer during a war, someone who doesn't know very much about it and carries on digging, hoping for rain. But just the last few days I've had this terrible feeling of... doom. It's a, er, biblical, kind of Old Testament feeling. I'm an atheist, but I was suddenly thinking of those stories of the flood and punishment. Because we've become unbelievably greedy and destructive." Helen Mirren interviewed by Simon Garfield, "The Independent" (London), November 25, 1990, The Sunday Review Pages, Pg 27.]
* David Mitchell (1974–): English comedian, writer and actor. ["Hang on you believe that, that's bollocks" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkObvXY24tk] retrieved August 16, 2008]
* Warren Mitchell (1926–): English actor, most famously in the long-running BBC TV series "Till Death Us Do Part". [" No kosher food, but he [Warren Mitchell] feels Jewish. "I can't define it, I just am." It is not spiritual. "I am an atheist, thank God," he quips. " [http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/features/The-pride-of-prejudice.2570786.jp The pride of prejudice] , "Scotland on Sunday", October 10, 2004 (accessed April 22, 2008). ]
* Julianne Moore (1960–): Academy and BAFTA Award-nominated, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American actress. [In response to the question "If Heaven exists, what do you think God will say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?", Moore said "Well, I guess you were wrong, because I do exist". [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xTso0jUULE = Inside the Actors Studio with Julianne Moore] retrieved August 23, 2008]
* Cillian Murphy (1976–): Irish stage and screen actor.Interviewer: "You said that your experiences on Sunshine, and particularly the time you spent with the scientists turned you from an agnostic to an atheist – what changed your perception?" Murphy: "I did a lot of reading, I spoke to those guys a lot, and I was always an agnostic, which I think is a very safe place to be in terms of your faith or lack of... It just seems to me to be irrational that there’s an omnipotent, omnipresent being who was there at the beginning, and will be there forever, it’s not logical, it doesn’t help me as a person..." [http://www.totalfilm.com/features/killing_time_with_cillian_murphy April 2007 interview in Total Film] (Accessed November 20, 2007)]
* Jonathan Myerson (1960–): British television and radio dramatist. ["The Miracle Maker" didn't have songs or animals (give or take the fishes with the loaves), wasn't playschool Plasticene, and told a serene, grave and majestic version of Christ's life. Animated with latex puppets (by a Moscow studio), this was the most credible Jesus I have ever seen. Why? Because I hadn't seen him before. He wasn't that actor I had seen last week in a Lynda La Plante, nor was he in a Bond movie before that. Yes, he had Ralph Fiennes' voice but few would recognise it. And when he fell to his knees in Gethsemane, I (diehard atheist) was there, this was Him, an unadulterated Messiah, unmodified by anything else creeping into my response. It was pure." Jonathan Myerson, 'How to bring poetry to motion', "The Independent" (London), April 10, 2001, Features, Pg. 12.]
* Jack Nicholson (1937—): American actor, three time Academy Award-winner. Nicholson told "Vanity Fair" he doesn't believe in God anymore but envies people with faith. [ [http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0422b-almanac.htm Jack Nicholson - Immanuel Kant ] ]
* Dara Ó Briain (1972–): Irish comedian and television presenter. Describes himself as an atheist, but "ethnically Catholic" for comic effect. ["I’m staunchly atheist, I simply don’t believe in God. But I’m still Catholic, of course. Catholicism has a much broader reach than just the religion. I’m ethnically Catholic, it’s the box you have to tick on the census form: ‘Don’t believe in God, but I do still hate Rangers.’" [http://postednotes.blogspot.com/2006/07/dara-obriain-atheist-catholic.html] retrieved August 11, 2008]
* Bree Olson (1986–): American pornographic actress and Penthouse Pet. ["I'm atheist. I know that when you die, there's no heaven, so that really bums me out. I wish I could be Christian and say I'm going to heaven but I know I'm not. It sucks to know the truth.cite web|url= http://www.lukeisback.com/stars/stars/bree_olson.htm|title= Bree Olson Interview|accessdate= 2008-03-18|publisher= lukeisback.com]
* Bruce Parry (1969–): English former Royal Marine instructor who presents the BBC / Discovery Channel documentary "Tribe". ["Newly tolerant Parry is a "post-Deist" - "basically I'm an atheist but reluctant to admit it." Cassandra Jardine interviewing Bruce Parry, "Daily Telegraph", September 19, 2007, Features, Pg. 25.]
* Julia Pascal (1949–): British Jewish playwright and theatre director. ["Islam as we are experiencing it in the west at the moment is having difficulties examining areas of criticism. All religions should face criticism. As an atheist, I believe it is a healthy society that does criticise religions. What happened to Salman Rushdie was absolutely shameful. It takes us back to the middle ages." Julia Pascal, interviewed for the article 'Sikh theatre row: Can censorship ever be justified?', "The Guardian", December 22, 2004, Pg. 7.]
* Guy Pearce (1967–): Award-winning English-born Australian-raised actor, perhaps best known for his crticially acclaimed roles in "Rules of Engagement", "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "L.A. Confidential" as well as a starring role in "The Proposition". ["I've got a T-shirt that says, 'Jesus saves,' and the 's' in 'Jesus' is a big dollar sign," he says. "I've worn it here [in America] and had people come up on the street and go, 'You can't wear that.' People in Australia think it's funny. I'm fascinated by religion. I don't believe in God, but the thing I do believe in is that we're all connected.cite web|url= http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-pearce27-2008aug27,0,7893219.story|title= Actor Guy Pearce is all about the details|publisher= latimes.com]
* Sam Perrin (1901–1998): American Emmy Award-winning screenwriter. ["On The Burns and Allen Show, he [George Balzer] was paired with the more experienced scripter Sam Perrin. The two writers were a natural team, despite the fact that Balzer was a devout Catholic and Perrin a Jewish atheist." Dick Vosburgh, 'George Balzer: Veteran comedy writer', "The Independent" (London), November 4, 2006, Obituaries, Pg. 44.]
* Peter Purves (1939–): English actor and television presenter, best known for a role in "Doctor Who" and presenting "Blue Peter". ["Religion makes me angry but I don't get overheated about it but I really dislike it and am a confirmed atheist and I believe most of the world's troubles are caused by people who have some abounding faith in some stupid superstition. It also makes me sad and depresses me immensely that people can be so stupid. Defending this, that and the other based on total myths and nonsense." Peter Purves, [http://www.retrosellers.com/features148.htm interviewed by 'Digger'] . ]
* Julia Phillips (1944–2002): Academy Award-winning film producer and author, the first woman to win an Oscar as a producer. ["Both her parents came from Russian Jewish backgrounds, but Julia was brought up as an atheist and an avid reader in Brooklyn, before the family moved, first to Great Neck, Long Island, and then to Milwaukee." Obituary of Julia Phillips, "Daily Telegraph", January 4, 2002, Pg. 25.]
* Michael Pitt (1981–): American actor and musician. ["Does Pitt think suicide is selfish? 'I see why people think it is, and sometimes I do. And sometimes I don't think it's selfish. I'm probably an atheist, though I was raised a Catholic " and that whole religion is based on the first suicide, in many ways.'" Roger Clarke interviewing Pitt, 'Film: Nearly Nirvana', "The Independent" (London), August 26, 2005, Features, Pg. 8-9.]
* Sarah Polley (1979–): Canadian actress and director. ["When asked what directors she admires, Polley talks about Ingmar Bergman and Terrence Malick (she says his "Thin Red Line" "single-handedly brought me out of a deep depression. It shifted something in me. I'm an atheist, but it was the first time that it gave me faith in other people's faith")." [http://www.torontolife.com/features/woman-verge/?pageno=5 Woman on the Verge] by Mark Pupo, Toronto Life Magazine, October 2006.]
* Keanu Reeves (1964–): Canadian-American actor best known for his portrayal of Neo in the action film trilogy "The Matrix" and Ted Logan in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey". ["Film star Keanu Reeves, promoting his new supernatural thriller Constantine, told a South African newspaper that making the film - about demonic possession - had not caused him to embrace religion, and he still thought of himself as an atheist. cite web|url= http://www.secularism.org.uk/32171.html| title= COMING OUT AS ATHEIST: IAN McEWAN & KEANU REEVES |publisher= secularism.org.uk]
* Carl Reiner (1922–): American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian, winner of nine Emmy Awards. ["I'm not a believer, I call myself an atheist. It was man who invented God. I once wrote that there are 15 things I know about God, and one is that he is allergic to shellfish. There are far too many commandments and you really only need one: Do not hurt anybody." Carl Reiner interviewed by Tom Tugend, ' [http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=13919 No Joke: Carl and Rob Reiner Honored by Israeli Film Festival] ', "San Francisco Sentinel", June 17, 2008 (accessed June 17, 2008).]
* Griff Rhys Jones (1953–): Welsh comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. [" [...] "Semi-Detached" [...] also shows Jones to be an emotional hoarder; a pragmatic atheist, who thinks little of the passage of time and scorns himself out of unhappiness, but who is still ashamed for misleading a girl 30 years earlier." Will Cohu, reviewing "Semi-Detached" by Griff Rhys Jones, "Daily Telegraph", November 18, 2006, Books, Pg. 30.] ["I read the whole of the Chronicles of Narnia when I was little and I grew up an atheist. My problem, I realise, was that I just didn't believe in Aslan." Griff Rhys Jones, 'Darling how thoughtful: a voucher for buttock reshaping', "Sunday Telegraph", December 11, 2005, Features section, Pg.19.]
* Fyfe Robertson (1902–1987): Scottish television journalist. ["An atheist, despite his upbringing, he described himself as a humanist radical." Anne Pimlott Baker, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49502 'Robertson, Fyfe (1902–1987)', "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed May 2, 2008).]
* Adam Savage (1967–): American television co-host on the program "MythBusters". [http://www.pennfans.net/view/Audio_Archive/PennRadio/Penn.Jillette.Radio.Show.2007.03.01/ Interview with Penn Jillette] in which he mentions his atheism. In an interview Savage gave at The Amaz!ng Meeting 5, he expressed an interest in proving natural selection over creationism on MythBusters."My goal this year is to prove natural selection on the show. It's gonna take a while, it's gonna be very hard to make it fascinating on film in the context of our narrative structure, but I figure screw it. The sky's the limit. Let's do natural selection. I'm sick of fifty percent of this country thinking creationism is reasonable. It's appalling. And I have the unique ability, maybe, to sell this idea to Discovery, and they'll, they might allow me to do it, and I'm gonna try as hard as I can."]
* Andy Serkis (1964–): English actor and director, best known for his portrayal of Sméagol/Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings". ["Serkis has been an atheist since his teens but feels spiritual when he's up a mountain (he once climbed the Matterhorn solo) and is much drawn to the karmic possibilities of energy transference. 'Not in a woo-ey way,' he smiles, 'but the idea that your energy lives on after you I find very relieving.'" Catherine Shoard, "Beastie Boy: You can take Andy Serkis out of the animal gear, but you can't take the animal out of Andy Serkis," "The Sunday Telegraph" March 16, 2008, Section 7, pg.22.]
* Elyse Sewell (1982–): American fashion model based in Hong Kong, and a finalist in the reality television modeling competition "America's Next Top Model". ["I'm just not interested in having quiet time to read my bible. I am a militant atheist." [http://www.wga.org/organizesub.aspx?id=1095 God and Woman at America's Next Top Model] , John Bowman] ]
*Omar Sharif (1932–): Academy Award-nominated Egyptian actor who has starred in many Hollywood films; an Egyptian Melkite Catholic who converted to Islam, but is now an atheist. [ [http://omarsharif.netfirms.com/articles.htm#El%20Mundo%20interview%20--%202002 Interview: Omar Sharif (English translation)] - El Mundo on 2002.]
* Don Siegel (1912–1991): Influential American film director and producer. ["His first chance came in 1944, when after a long period of feuding with Warner, Warner offered him a short. Siegel himself is a Jewish-born atheist. "I wondered what I could do which would most annoy Warner as a Jew; and decided on a present-day retelling of the story of the nativity. To my surprise he liked the idea, and it was a big success. So then I wondered what else I could do which would irritate him and tried something quite different, which was "Hitler Lives"." David Robinson, 'Don Siegel's stories', "The Times", May 1, 1975; pg. 11; Issue 59384; col E.]
* Steven Soderbergh (1963–): American filmmaker, Academy Award-winning director of such films as "Traffic", "Erin Brockovich", "Ocean's Eleven", and "Sex, Lies and Videotape".Soderbergh siad "I’m a hardcore atheist." [http://www.stevensoderbergh.net/articles/2005/scotland.php State of Independence] , by Scotland on Sunday, January 23, 2005, (Accessed June 8, 2007).]
* Todd Solondz (1959–): American screenwriter and independant film director known for his style of dark, thought-provoking satire. [In response to the question "Is there a God?", Solondz said "Well, me, I'm an atheist, so I don't really believe there is. But I suppose I could be proven wrong." cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/24569 |title=Is There A God?: The A.V. Club]
* David Starkey CBE (1945–): English historian, television and radio presenter, and specialist in the Tudor period. ["Like a lot of atheists, Starkey can seem a little obsessed with religion. [...] 'Personally, I find the inclusiveness and uncertainty of the Church of England as horrible as the brittle, iron-edged certainties of Islam and I would much rather the chairman of the National Secular Society held up the Coronation sword. But I can't see that happening. Although I am an atheist, unlike a Richard Dawkins, I understand the importance of religious motive and, broadly, I am sympathetic to it - except when it is fused with the political, which is what Henry does, and which modern Islam wants to do, and also what Tony Blair and George Bush flirt with.' " Nigel Farndale interviewing David Starkey, "Sunday Telegraph", November 5, 2006, Secion 7, Pg. 18.]
* Juliet Stevenson (1956–): English actress. ["The actress Juliet Stevenson was on the ITV1 Sunday programme last week, reading the poems of Philip Larkin. She revealed that she, like him, was an atheist."cite web|url= http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/07/28/jesus-sucks-tv-duo-s-banner-tells-toronto.aspx| title= Coming out as atheist – Billy Connolly, Juliet Stevenson and Peter O’Toole|publisher= secularism.org.uk]
* J. Michael Straczynski (1954–): American writer and producer, creator of "Babylon 5".When asked what book he would choose to memorize, Straczynski said "Despite being an atheist, I would probably choose the Book of Job." [http://www.scifi.com/transcripts/2000/straczynski.html Online chat with Straczynski, hosted by SciFi.com] Dead link|date=August 2008(Accessed June 8, 2007)]
* Paul Taylor (1930–): American choreographer, one of the foremost of the 20th century. ["Two works created during the last year complete the bill. "In the Beginning" is a joke that doesn't come off. The story, filtered through Taylor's profound atheism, is that of the book of Genesis." Luke Jennings, 'Sure touch of an old master', "The Daily Telegraph", May 1, 2003, Pg. 21.]
* Teller (magician) (1948–): American magician, co-host of the television show "Bullshit!". [http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0305almanac.htm Interview with Penn Jillette] in which he mentions his and Teller's atheism.]
* Fernando Trueba (1955–): Academy award-winning Spanish book editor, screenwriter and film director. [Trueba said in his acceptance speech for the 1993 Best Non-English Speaking Film Oscar "I'd like to thank God, but I don't believe in God, I just believe in Billy Wilder..."cite web|url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,402083,00.html| title= Billy Wilder|publisher= ew.com]
* Kenneth Tynan (1927–1980): Influential and often controversial British theatre critic and writer. [" "A lifelong atheist, he needed a belief, a philosophy, a cause," noted his first wife." Charles Spencer, 'Starstruck critic with a sting in his tail', "Daily Telegraph", September 29, 2001, Pg. 07.]
* Theo van Gogh (1957–2004): Dutch film director, television producer, publicist and actor, murdered following the broadcasting of his film "Submission". ["This book is called "Allah knows best" because it is my dark suspicion we are on the verge of the new Middle Ages of Mecca; and because I feel, as a professional atheist, very unsafe in a climate that is dominated by ambitious mayors who are happily busy "keeping things together". Since September 11, the knives are sharpened and the fifth column of goatfuckers marches ahead unhindered." Theo van Gogh, 'What they have said about Islam', in 'Netherlands braced for Muslim anger as politician releases 'anti-Islam' film', "The Independent" (London), January 25, 2008, Pg. 32.]
* Ram Gopal Varma (1962–): Indian film director, writer and film producer. ["If Jaya Bachchan is in the film, I will go to hell. But then I am an atheist, and do not believe in god." [http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2961162.cms Jaya Bachchan in Sarkar Raaj?] , "India Times", April 18, 2008 (accessed April 21, 2008)]
* Wynford Vaughan-Thomas CBE (1908–1987): Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster with a lengthy career. [Mr Vaughan-Thomas says he is the only Welshman brought up as a trained atheist: "I am totally irreligious, but I can understand why religious people are concerned about the disintegration of Christian ethics. [...] I am a sympathetic atheist and I go to services from time to time and enjoy the great sense of history." Trevor Fishlock, 'Regional notebook: A feeling for history in one man's abiding devotion to a landscape', "The Times", January 8, 1973; pg. 3; Issue 58675; col C.]
* Paul Verhoeven (1938–): Dutch BAFTA Award nominated film director, screenwriter, and film producer, filming in both the Netherlands and the United States, best known for the American feature films "RoboCop", "Total Recall", "Basic Instinct" and "Starship Troopers" and Dutch films "Black Book" and "Soldier of Orange". ["But then, this auteur has no hauteur; nor, more importantly, is he Jewish. Rather, he is an atheist who had a bout of Pentacostalist fervour in his mid-20s that still inflects his work and thinking: he still reads widely about Christian history; he considers "RoboCop" to be a Christ-like story of resurrection." Stuart Jeffries interviewing Verhoeven, 'Of course there are nude scenes... I'm Dutch!', "The Guardian", January 12, 2007, Film and Music Pages, Pg. 6.]
* Paolo Villaggio (1932–): Italian actor, writer, director and comedian, especially famous for his grotesque irony and satire, who often worked with Federico Fellini. ["I am an atheist but I am sure a divine zone exists, where certain special machines like Fellini work." Paolo Villaggio, 'Tributes to a rare talent: Ciao, Federico', "The Guardian" (London), November 1, 1993, Features Pages, Pg. 3.]
* Joss Whedon (1964–): American screenwriter and director, most famous for creating the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" franchise. [Asked if there was a God, Whedon answered, "No." [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/24569 "Is There a God?"] , by Stephen Thompson, October 9, 2002, A.V. Club (Accessed October 22, 2006.)]
* Lalla Ward (1951–): English actress and illustrator, best known for playing Romana in "Doctor Who"; she is married to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. [As well as being apparently happily married to Richard Dawkins since 1992, Ward contributed an 'in the same spirit' footnote to Dawkins's "The God Delusion", and jointly read that book with Dawkins for the audiobook version.]
* Peter White (1947–): English broadcast journalist and DJ; blind since birth, he is closely associated with disability issues. ["In the 60s Tom Lehrer introduced me to the idea that you can be totally irreverent about anything. I realised nothing was sacred. I don't like authority. My atheism is very genuine. If God does exist, I don't think he's a very nice bloke." 'Pieces of me: Peter White: Radio presenter', "The Guardian" (London) July 26, 2006, G2 Features Pages, Pg. 16.]
* Gene Wilder (1933–): American actor best known for his role as "Willy Wonka"."Well, I'm a Jewish-Buddhist-Atheist, I guess." cite book | title=Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish| url=http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7URo| last=Pogrebin| first=Abigail| year=2005| pages=91-99| publisher=Broadway| location=New York| isbn=978-0-7679-1612-7]
* Robyn Williams (1944–): Australian science journalist and broadcaster, interviewer and host of the "Science Show" on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [ In his 2006 book "Unintelligent Design: Why God isn't as smart as she thinks she is", Williams states: "Atheists like me don't think about God at all—unless provoked. We think about everything else that life's rich burden thrusts upon us. But God doesn't arise." (p.14; Allen & Unwin, Australia, ISBN 978-1-74114-923-4)]
* Ted Willis (1914–1992): British television dramatist, also politically active in support of the Labour Party. ["LORD WILLIS (Lab.) said that although an atheist or humanist, he was not opposed to the teaching of religion in schools. What he objected to was the way in which it was presented. Except in rare instances, children were not taught about religion but about one religion and in a one-sided untruthful, dogmatic and prejudiced way." 'The Lords: contemporary approach to teaching religion in schools', "The Times", November 16, 1967; pg. 5; Issue 57100; col A.]

Notes and references