The following people are all converts to Buddhism.
From Atheism or Agnosticism Name Profession/Background References Akshara Haasan Indian actress and model Brittney PalmerAmerican actress Stephen Batchelor British author and former Tibetan Buddhist monk Biography - Stephen Batchelor E. F. Schumacher German-British economist and author Jorge Sassi Argentine actor Shaila Catherine American meditation teacher Quli, Natalie (2008). Multiple Buddhist Modernisms: Jhāna in Convert Theravāda. Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies, pp.225-249Interpretations of the Jhanas, retrieved on September 26, 2014 Sister Uppalavanna German Buddhist nun and violinist Biography - Sister Uppalavanna Ludwig Ankenbrand German Buddhist teacher, journalist, and activist Sangharakshita British Buddhist teacher
From Abrahamic religions
From Christianity NameFormer denominationNationalityNotesRefs.CherArmenian Apostolic ChurchAmericanmusician and actressNyanatiloka Mahathera (Anton Walther Florus Gueth)Catholic ChurchGermanone of the earliest western Buddhist monks and founder of Island HermitagePenélope CruzSpanishactress and modelEileen GuAnglicanism Chinese-Americanfreestyle skierAnthony LeeBaptistAmericanactor and activistAnanda Metteya (Charles Henry Allan Bennett)Catholic ChurchBritishone of the earliest western Buddhist monk and established the first Buddhist Mission in the United KingdomChris EvansAmericanactor and producer Thomas William Rhys DavidsCongregationalismBritishscholar of the Pāli language and founder of Pali Text SocietyColonel Henry Steel OlcottPresbyterianismAmericanmilitary officer, lawyer and first well-known American to make a formal conversion to BuddhismJanet Kerschner, The Olcott Family Lokanatha (Salvatore Cioffi)Catholic ChurchItalianTheravadin Buddhist missionary monkRoberto BaggioCatholic ChurchItalianfootballer Kotahene Soma Maha TheraSri LankanTheravadin Buddhist monk, translator and missionaryThe Path Of Freedom (Vimuttimagga) of Arahant Upatissa Translated from the Chinese by Rev. N. R. M. Ehara, Soma Thera, Kheminda Thera. Buddhist Publication Society. Kandy, Ceylon, page IXAliana LohanAmericanactress, singer and fashion model Alanis MorissetteAmericansinger-songwriter and musician Sophia AbrahãoBrazilianmodel and actressVenerable Gotamī (Martina Catania)Italianbhikkuni and authorSolomon BandaranaikeAnglicanismSri Lankanformer Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and founder of Sri Lanka Freedom PartyMelody GardotDutch Reformed ChurchAmericansinger and modelCatherine SpaakProtestantismFrenchactress and singerDewi LestariCatholic ChurchIndonesianwriter, singer-songwriterDayenne MesquitaBrazilianactress and modelPrince Esper Esperovich UkhtomskyRussian Orthodox ChurchRussianpoet, publisher and Oriental enthusiast Johnson, K. Paul. Initiates of theosophical masters.(SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions/Suny Series in Political Party Development). SUNY Press, 1995. , 978-0-7914-2555-8 page 125Helena BlavatskyRussian Orthodox ChurchRussianphilosopher, occultist, founder of the Theosophical SocietyRichard Tiffany GereMethodismAmericanactor and producer, co-founder of Tibet House USJimmy BarnesProtestantismAustraliansinger and rapper Orlando BloomChurch of EnglandEnglishactor and leading man in Hollywood filmsOrlando Bloom 'converts to Buddhism'Interview with Orlando Bloom Ajahn Sumedho (Robert Karr Jackman)Episcopal Church (United States)Americanthe one who introduced Thai Forest Tradition to the West and most senior western disciple of Ajahn ChahAjahn Viradhammo (Vitauts Akers) LutheranismCanadiansenior western disciple of Ajahn Chah, founder & abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery Ajahn BrahmNot specificEnglishsenior western disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Bodhinyana MonasteryAjahn CandasiriNot specificScottishTheravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition and one of the senior monastics in western Buddhist circleBBCAjahn Candasiri's website Ayya Nirodha (Elizabeth Gorski)Catholic ChurchAustrian, later AustralianTheravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition, former Abbess of Santi Forest Monastery Tara BrachUnitarianismAmericanpsychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW)Belinda CarlisleSouthern Baptist ConventionAmericansinger (the Go-Go's), songwriterHoun Jiyu-KennettChurch of EnglandEnglishSoto Zen rōshi and founder of Shasta AbbeyJohn Daido Loori Catholic ChurchAmericanZen Buddhist rōshi, abbot of Zen Mountain MonasteryAnanda Claude DalenbergDutch Reformed ChurchAmericanZen priest ordained by Shunryū SuzukiMichael David ZimmermanEpiscopal Church (United States)Americanprominent attorney and former justice of the Utah Supreme CourtWilliam Oliver StoneEpiscopal Church (United States)American film director, producer, and screenwriterPema ChödrönCatholic ChurchAmericanTibetan Buddhist nunPBSFabian FucanCatholic Church (Society of Jesus)Japanesewriter of tracts, at first supporting Christianity and then criticizing itKo Ye LwinNot specificBurmeseprominent musician, guitarist and peace activistAlfred BloomEvangelicalismAmericanprofessor and dean of the Institute of Buddhist StudiesSeungsahn HaengwonPresbyterianismKoreanSeon master and the founder of Kwan Um School of ZenJunius Richard JayewardeneNot specificSri Lankanfirst President of Sri Lanka and former Prime ministerSteve JobsLutheranismAmericanco-founder of Apple Computer, Inc.What do Steve Jobs’s final words mean?Charles R. JohnsonAfrican Methodist Episcopal ChurchAmericanpolitical cartoonist, novelist and Buddhist writerCharles R. Johnson interview at Monsters&Critics : "Buddhism has been my refuge (as it was intended to be for practitioners) since I was 14-years-old, and first sat in formal meditation."Dewi LestariPentecostalismIndonesiansinger and writerDewi 'Dee' Lestari: Love, spirituality and ecologyTsai Chih ChungCatholic ChurchTaiwanesefamous cartoonist, well known in both Taiwan and mainland ChinaLeung Man-taoChinesewriter, critic and host凤凰网：梁文道在佛教中寻找人生方向Christine RankinNew Zealanderpolitician and former civil servant who served as head of the Ministry of Social DevelopmentSeta ManoukianArmenian Apostolic ChurchArmenianArmenian painterNew York TimesTina TurnerBaptistSwisssinger and actressHerman VetterlingSwedenborgianismAmericanmystic but he retained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversionThe Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist PerspectiveImagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry DodinMichael ImperioliCatholicismAmericanactor, writer, director, and musicianSam LaoChurch of the EastChineseRishi, Dalit Buddhist and New Age ScientistThe Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist PerspectiveImagining Tibet: Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry DodinTheodor SchultzeProtestantism GermanCivil servant, religious writerPamela Ayo YetundeMethodistAmericanPastoral counselor, hospice worker, writer and educator
From Islam
Altan Khan was the leader of the Tümed MongolsStein, R. A. (1972). Tibetan Civilization, pp. 81-82. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. (cloth); (paper).Richardson, Hugh E. (1984). Tibet & its History. Second Edition, Revised and Updated, p. 41. Shambhala, Boston & London. (pbk). and ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols, and the first Ming Shunyi King. Anggun, Indonesian-French singer, songwriter, and television personality. Princess Mother Sri Sulalai (1770–1837), the consort of Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Rama II of Siam and was the mother of Nangklao, Rama III. The Bunnag family, powerful noble family of Mon-Persian descent of the early Rattanakosin Kingdom of Siam, the descendants of Sheikh Ahmad who converted to Buddhism. Jongkol Kittikachorn, wife of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, the 10th Prime Minister of Thailand. She converted to Buddhism in 1930. Karim Samlee, Bangladeshi-Thai magician and actor. Lee Yaping, Taiwanese singer. She became famous overnight with the song "Wake Up! Lei Mengna" and is very popular in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Ipshita Shabnam, Bangladeshi model and actress. She converted to Buddhism while marrying Partha Barua in 2007. Napapa Tantrakul (1986–), Thai actress who was raised as Muslim and converted to Buddhism in 2016 Nora Ariffin, Singaporean actress, fashion model and real estate broker. Nusaba Punnakan, Thai actress and presenter. She has been acting since 1992 and is the spouse of politician Puttipong Punnakan. Patumwadi Sosaphan, Thai singer and actress. Born in a Muslim family and converted to Buddhism during marriage in 1966. Tillakaratne Dilshan (1976–), Sri Lankan cricket player who converted from Islam to Buddhism at the age of 16, previously known as Tuwan Muhammad Dilshan Tillakaratne Sampath (1982–), Sri Lankan cricket player who was previously known as Tuwan Mohammad Nishan Sampath Suraj Randiv (1985–), Sri Lankan cricket player who was previously known as Mohamed Marshuk Mohamed Suraj Pai Hsien-yung (1937–), son of KMT Muslim General Bai Chongxi, a Chinese American writer of Hui descent Winai Kraibutr, Thai actor and television personality. Wong Ah Kiu (1918–2006), Malay woman born to a Muslim family but raised as Buddhist; her conversion from Islam became a legal issue in Malaysia on her deathAP/Al Jazeera
From Judaism
Nyanaponika Mahathera (1901–1994), German-born Theravada monk, co-founder and first president of the Buddhist Publication Society Bhikkhu Bodhi (1944–), American Theravada Buddhist monk and scholar, founder of the Buddhist Global Relief Ayya Khema (1923–1997), German Buddhist teacher and one of the organizers for the first International Conference on Buddhist Women Larry Rosenberg (1932–), American Buddhist teacher who founded the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center Peter Coyote (1941–), American actor and author Surya Das (1950–), lama who founded Dzogchen Foundation and CentersDzongchen bio Tetsugen Bernard Glassman (1939–2018), American Zen Buddhist roshi and co-founder of the Zen Peacemakers Zoketsu Norman Fischer (1946–), American poet, writer, and Soto Zen priest and founded the Everyday Zen Foundation Zenkei Blanche Hartman (1926–2016), Soto Zen teacher practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Kittisaro, disciple of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho; meditation teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition Hozan Alan Senauke (1947–), Soto Zen priest, folk musician and poet. Jack Kornfield (1945–), teacher in the Vipassana Movement of American Theravada Buddhism Sharon Salzberg (1952–), meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society Goldie Jeanne Hawn (1945–), American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. Steven Seagal (1952–), American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician who holds American, Serbian, and Russian citizenship. Robert Downey Jr. (1965–), American actor and producer Philip Glass (1937–), American composer and pianist
From Indian religions
From Hinduism B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956), Chief architect of the Constitution of India Jagdish Kashyap (1908–1976), Buddhist monk Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan, Buddhist monk, writer, and scholarModernisation of Buddhism: Contributions of Ambedkar and Dalai Lama XIV, Lella Karunyakara, Gyan Books, 2002 p. 180 Balachandran Chullikkadu (1957–), Malayalam language poet from Kerala Hansika Motwani, indian actress. Rahul Sankrityayan (1893–1963), Hindi author and translator Iyothee Thass (1845–1914), Siddha practitioner and leader of the Dravidian movementExistential dilemmas The Hindus – June 6, 2010 Laxman Mane (1949–), Dalit author and social worker S. N. Goenka (1924–2013), Vipassanā meditation teacher and founder of Vipassana Research Institute Swami Prasad Maurya, politician Udit Raj (1958–), prominent Indian social activist and Buddhist polemicist50,000 DALITS EMBRACE BUDDHISM – Buddhism Today