The head of the Russian Orthodox Church...
Okhlobystin was accused of "upsetting believers and diminishing his church rank" with his depiction of a jester in Tsar, a movie about Ivan the Terrible released last year.
He made the request in November amid criticism from clerics and the general public, saying he was experiencing an identity crisis.
"Our society, including its church community, has deep respect for the contribution actors make to our cultural life, but one has to observe church rules that say priesthood and acting do not go together," Patriarch Kirill said in a statement posted on the website.
Patriarch Kirill praised the cleric"s request as "spiritual quest," and said the suspension may be lifted if he makes a "final and clear choice in favor of priesthood."
Okhlobystin stands out among clergy in the mainly conservative Russian Orthodox Church. He wears baseball caps and designer sunglasses, his arms are covered in tattoos and his fingers are laden with ostentatious rings.