Russell Crowe revealed in a new interview that, at one time, he had looked into the Church of Scientology.

The actor said he was curious about the controversial religion and even sought insight from one of the church's most famous members.

"From a young kid, I was quite interested in religion," Crowe explained to People. "When I met Tom Cruise when he was married to Nicole [Kidman], we were spending a bit of time together so I thought I'd find out a little bit about what he was into."

The Oscar winner, 51, continued, "I found a video in the video store about Scientology and I watched it. It wasn't that informative. But I brought it up with Tom and I thought he was really cool. He didn't try to sell me a pair of shoes. He just said, 'If it's something that interests you, you'll pursue it.' And I think that happens with any kind of religion if you come to it by your own discovery."

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Crowe added that he never actually became a member of the church.

"I never ended up putting my two cents down on anybody's table," he said. "I've never graced [Scientology's] doorway."

Crowe directed and stars in the new film "The Water Diviner," opening in theaters Friday.