By WENN | Wednesday, August 01, 2007

HOLLYWOOD – British actor Bill Nighy has defended his costar Tom Cruise’s religious beliefs after filming on their new movie was jeopardized by German authorities’ Scientology concerns.

Cruise is playing World War II hero Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg–who led an unsuccessful plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler–in Rubicon.

However, efforts to shoot the movie on military sites were thwarted in July by Germany’s Defense Ministry, allegedly because Cruise’s Scientology beliefs are viewed as a “moneymaking cult” instead of a legitimate church by the German government.

But Nighy–who has already defended the film as a “heroic tale that deserves to be told”–is now urging greater tolerance for Cruise’s views.

He says, “It doesn’t make sense. I can’t see the point of persecuting an individual for what they believe. Whatever they believe.” (Source: Hollywood)