Alex Gibney didn’t just make a movie; he dropped a nuclear bomb on a very specific kind of California sunshine. When Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief premiered at Sundance, the air in the theater felt thin. People were nervous. You could feel it. The going clear documentary cast wasn’t just a group of talking heads or bored experts. These were people who had lived inside a machine for decades, and they looked like they’d seen things they couldn't unsee.
It’s been years, but the impact hasn't faded. Not really.
If you watch it today, the stories still feel raw. It’s not just about the theology of Xenu or the billion-year contracts. Honestly, it’s about the people. The cast represents a cross-section of humanity—Oscar winners, high-ranking executives, and mothers who lost their kids to "disconnection." They aren't just "apostates." They are witnesses.
The Heavy Hitters: Who Anchored the Story?
The backbone of the film is Lawrence Wright. He wrote the book the film is based on, and he's a Pulitzer Prize winner. He’s the steady hand. But the emotional weight? That comes from Paul Haggis.
Haggis is a big deal. He directed Crash. He wrote Million Dollar Baby. When he walked away from Scientology, it wasn't quiet. In the documentary, he describes the slow realization that he was part of something he could no longer justify. It’s a gut punch. He talks about the "disconnection" policy—where members are forced to cut off family who leave—as the final straw. It’s a recurring theme for the going clear documentary cast.
Then you have the executives. These aren't people who were just sitting in the pews. They were running the show.
- Marty Rathbun: Once the second-highest-ranking official in the Church. He was the "enforcer." Seeing him talk about the things he did to "audit" and control members is chilling. He’s not a hero in his own story, and he knows it.
- Mike Rinder: The former international spokesperson. If you saw a PR person defending the Church on TV in the 90s, it was probably Mike. In the film, he’s weary. He’s honest about the physical abuse he says he suffered at the hands of leadership.
- Jason Beghe: You know him from Chicago P.D. He’s got that gravelly voice and a no-nonsense attitude. He was one of the first big stars to go public with his exit, and his interview provides some of the most visceral, angry, and darkly funny moments in the film.
The Celebrities Who Weren't Interviewed (But Were the Main Characters)
Technically, Tom Cruise and John Travolta are part of the going clear documentary cast, even if they didn't sit down for an interview. Gibney uses archival footage to paint a picture of their involvement that is... well, it's intense.
The film explores the alleged "grooming" of Tom Cruise by leader David Miscavige. It suggests that the Church went to extreme lengths to separate Cruise from Nicole Kidman. Why? Because her father was a psychologist, and in Scientology, psychiatry is the ultimate enemy. The documentary claims the Church tapped Kidman's phone. It's wild stuff.
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Travolta is portrayed differently. The film suggests he stays not because of total devotion, but because of the "folders." Every Scientologist undergoes "auditing," which is basically confession. Everything is recorded. The documentary implies that the Church has enough "black PR" on its stars to keep them from ever leaving. Whether that’s 100% true or just a very effective fear tactic is up for debate, but the film makes a compelling case for the latter.
The Voices You Might Forget But Shouldn't
While the stars get the headlines, the real soul of the movie lives in the stories of people like Spanky Taylor.
Spanky was a high-level member who worked closely with John Travolta. Her story is one of the most harrowing segments of the entire documentary. She describes being sent to the "Rehabilitation Project Force" (RPF), which the film depicts as a labor camp. She was pregnant. She was forced to work grueling hours with little food or sleep. Her description of finally escaping with her infant daughter is the stuff of actual thrillers.
And then there's Sara Northrup.
She was L. Ron Hubbard’s second wife. Her story, told through her writings and historical records, strips away the "Source" mythology. She describes Hubbard as a man prone to cycles of mania and cruelty. It’s a necessary perspective because it grounds the entire "religion" in the flaws of one very complicated, very human man.
Why This Specific Cast Changed the Conversation
Before this documentary, most people thought of Scientology as a quirky Hollywood club.
The going clear documentary cast changed that.
They turned a punchline into a human rights conversation. By having high-ranking former officials like Mark Rathbun and Mike Rinder corroborate each other's stories, the film moved past "he-said-she-said" territory. It became a systemic critique. They showed that the "prison of belief" isn't built of bars, but of psychological conditioning and the fear of losing everyone you love.
The Church, for its part, has aggressively denied everything in the film. They’ve released videos and magazines specifically targeting the cast members, calling them liars and "bitter apostates." But that’s the thing—when you have this many people, from such different walks of life, telling the same story of abuse and disconnection, the denials start to sound a bit thin.
The Lingering Aftermath in 2026
It is easy to think of this as old news. It isn't.
Many members of the going clear documentary cast are still active in the "Ex-Scientology" community. Mike Rinder went on to co-host Scientology and the Aftermath with Leah Remini, which took the groundwork laid by Gibney’s film and turned it into a multi-season investigative powerhouse.
The documentary basically created a new genre: the high-production cult exposé.
But it also did something more personal. It gave a voice to the people who were terrified to speak. It showed that even if you've spent 30 years and millions of dollars on a lie, you can still walk away. You can still tell the truth.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you’ve watched the film and find yourself falling down the rabbit hole, there are ways to engage with this information that go beyond just being a spectator.
- Read the Source Material: Lawrence Wright’s book Going Clear contains significantly more detail than the movie could ever fit into two hours. It’s a masterclass in investigative journalism.
- Follow the Legal Paper Trail: Many of the claims made by the cast have been part of various lawsuits over the years. Searching for court documents related to "Scientology RPF" or "disconnection" provides a factual baseline that goes beyond "he said, she said."
- Support Secular Exit Groups: There are organizations dedicated to helping people leave high-control groups (often called cults). If the stories of Spanky Taylor or Paul Haggis resonated with you, look into the work of the Aftermath Foundation, which provides actual boots-on-the-ground support for those trying to escape.
- Check the Credits: Pay attention to the names of the producers and the researchers. They spent years vetting these stories to ensure the film could survive the inevitable legal onslaught from the Church. That level of due diligence is rare in modern documentary filmmaking.
The going clear documentary cast didn't just tell a story; they risked their reputations and, in some cases, their safety to pull back a very heavy curtain. Understanding who they are is the first step in understanding the power—and the danger—of extreme belief.