Marjoe Gortner

Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner (born January 14, 1944) is a former evangelist preacher and actor. He gained public attention in the late 1940s when he was ordained as a preacher at the age of four. As a young man, he traveled on the revival circuit and brought celebrity to the revival movement. In the 1970s, Gortner starred in the documentary Marjoe (1972), which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film. The film provided a critical view of Pentecostal preaching. Born in Long Beach, California, Gortner comes from a family with a long evangelical heritage. His name, Marjoe, is a combination of the names Mary and Joseph.