“Naked in the Spotlight” tells the life story of Mark Janicello, the multi-talented New Yorker, whose career defies easy categorization. Janicello's life reads like a typical American show business success story, until Scientology crossed the young performer's path. Janicello unexpectedly landed in the crossfire of a 13-year, international, hate campaign that befits a Tom Clancy novel, more than the autobiography of an artist.
Janicello's life has been more bizarre than any fiction. Crushed between Scientology's enemies within several European governments and the cult itself, he went from stardom to “persona non grata”, virtually overnight. He lost millions in contracts and appearances. He was arrested, blacklisted, slandered, publicly humiliated, and was often forced to perform with police protection.
At the time of the biggest protests, Scientology for whom Janicello had become not only their public face, but also their biggest fundraiser, left him to die.
Janicello left Scientology in 2003.
