Leah Remini has lived quite the life. The Emmy-winning comedic actor has lived all over the country, traveled across the world, fraternized with some of the most famous people on the planet, and made millions of people laugh through her work. Remini grew to fame through her work in the hit 2000s sitcom "The King of Queens," but since 2013, her biggest claim to fame has been her work to educate others about what she says is criminal activity of the Church of Scientology
According to its website, "Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one's relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being."
For multiple decades of her life, Remini wholeheartedly believed in the teachings of Scientology, and she even recruited other people to join the church. However, multiple events led Remini to leave, and her entire life has transformed because of it. Though Scientology has played a large role in Remini's life, many other factors have also affected her, including her career, family, friendships, and more. From childhood to adulthood, Remini's life has been particularly interesting. Here's a closer look at the stunning transformation of Leah Remini.
Leah Remini was born on June 15, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York to Vicki Marshall and George Remini. Remini was baptized Catholic but did not attend church regularly, just when visiting her grandmother and on holidays. Her parents split when Remini was young, and her mother soon began dating someone new.
Remini stayed in Brooklyn for about the first decade of her life, growing up in what she described as a middle-class home, and the actor attended elementary school at PS 200 in Brooklyn. The comedian has multiple siblings, including a sister named Nicole.
Even as a child, Remini was intrigued by acting. "I grew up on television watching 'I Love Lucy,'" she said in an interview with CBS Mornings. "I remember hearing the laughs from the audience, and I was like, 'Wow, to be able to do that.'" Remini's ultimate dream as a child, however, was to star as Annie on Broadway
After her parents separated, Leah Remini's mother started dating who would eventually become Remini's stepfather. Remini's mother's new boyfriend was a practicing Scientologist, and he introduced the religion to his girlfriend, who joined the church with her children. As Remini shared in an interview with People, Scientology was positive in her life when she first joined. "Almost immediately my mother became a little more open and less the mother who was always yelling at you," Remini said. "She told my sister and me that we were spiritual beings and we were going to start learning to communicate and not attack each other. As a kid, it's very empowering." Remini was not yet 10 when she joined the church.
While in Los Angeles, despite having left Sea Organization, Remini and her family continued practicing Scientology. Remini was not, however, in school. "Scientology does not value a traditional education. They value your education of Scientology," Remini said on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Remini dropped out of school in the eighth grade and took Scientology courses. When questioned about her education, Remini said she and her mother lied that Remini was receiving a private education. Remini later went on to earn her GED.
Being in Los Angeles positioned Remini to eventually realize her dream of breaking into the entertainment industry, as did some of the teachings of Scientology. "There's tools that are very, very helpful to you in your life," Remini said in an interview with ABC News. "As an actor, I walked into a room, where some people might cower in front of a casting director, I wasn't."