Mayim Bialik on religion: Says it's not 'trendy' to be observant of faith in Hollywood

The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik spoke out about the difficulties of being a person of faith in Hollywood in an interview with Fox News.

“I think in general it’s never going to be trendy to be observant or religious in Hollywood circles,” the Emmy-nominated actress said.

Bialik, who is Jewish, described the negative attention she received after taking a recent trip to Israel to visit a friend in the Israel Defense Forces.

“Simply by going to Israel this summer and saying nothing more than, ‘I’ve gone to Israel,’ I got the same amount of hatred and threats and anti-Semitism for actually making a statement trying to support people whether I like it or not are serving in an army,” Bialik said.

Bialik has previously spoken about her Jewish faith. In 2012, she said it was “close to impossible” to be an observant Jew in Hollywood and cited the struggles that came with being in a fashion-oriented industry.

Bialik shared similar sentiments in her Fox News interview, saying, “Being a modest dresser, that for me is a certain amount of my religious faith – privacy and chastity. Just because I have a body doesn’t mean it means to be on display.”

Despite the difficulties, Bialik continues to observe religious practices – shutting down social media for the Sabbath, going to synagogue and having Sabbath dinners.

“There are people I know of faith and we tend to congregate together. I study Jewish texts weekly,” she said. “That’s something really positive to me. When you’re a person of faith, it stays with you all the time.”

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