Birth Name: Viola Lynn Collins
Place of Birth: Houston, Texas
Date of Birth: May 16, 1977
Ethnicity: English, Scottish
Lynn Collins is an American actress.
Lynn’s maternal grandparents were Charles E. Campbell (the son of Clarence Campbell and Betty Magee) and Juanita Jezebel Dukes (the daughter of W. C. Dukes and Lily).
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Birth Name: Kerri Lee Green
Place of Birth: Fort Lee, New Jersey
Date of Birth: January 14, 1967
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Kerri Green is an American actress. She is of Russian Jewish heritage.
Kerri’s paternal grandparents were John Green and Edythe/Edith Levine (the daughter of Benjamin Levine and Lena Landesman). Benjamin was born in New Hampshire, to parents from Russia. Lena was born in Rhode Island, also to Russian-born parents.
Source: Kerri’s paternal grandmother, Edythe Levine, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Birth Name: Sally Cecilia Hawkins
Place of Birth: Dulwich, London, England, UK
Date of Birth: 27 April 1976
Ethnicity: English
Sally Hawkins is an English actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, for the 2013 Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine. The daughter of Jacqui and Colin Hawkins, authors and illustrators of children’s books, Hawkins was born in Dulwich, and raised in Blackheath, in southeast London.
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Birth Name: Samuel Shepard Rogers III
Place of Birth: Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Date of Birth: November 5, 1943
Ethnicity: English
Sam Shepard is an American actor. He has English ancestry.
Sam’s paternal grandparents were Samuel Shepard Rogers, Jr. (the son of Samuel Shepard Rogers and Margaret Deming Howe) and Helen Dodge (the daughter of Herbert Dodge and Maude).
Sam’s maternal grandparents were Frederick DeForest Schook (the son of William Schook and Sarah L.) and Amy Victoria Byron. Amy’s parents were English.
Source: Genealogy of Sam Shepard (focusing on his father’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
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Birth Name: Lance James Henriksen
Place of Birth: New York City, New York
Date of Birth: May 5, 1940
Ethnicity:
*Norwegian (father)
Lance Henriksen is an American actor.
His father, James Marin Henriksen, was a Norwegian immigrant, born in Tønsberg. His mother, Margueritte, was American.
Lance’s paternal grandparents were Thiis Marin Henriksen (the son of Rasmus Sanne Henriksen and Lise Maria Larsdatter) and Hansine Jaokina Ellingsen (the daughter of Amund Ellingsen and Fredrikke/Petrikke Ulriksdatter).
Source: Genealogy of Lance’s paternal grandfather, Thiis Marin Henriksen – http://tom-roggert.net
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Birth Name: William Paxton
Place of Birth: Fort Worth, Texas
Date of Birth: May 17, 1955
Ethnicity: English, some Scots-Irish (Northern Irish)
Bill Paxton is an American actor. On his father’s side, he has English, and some Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), ancestry.
Bill’s paternal grandparents were Frank Paxton (the son of John Gallatin Paxton and Mary Wyatt Gentry) and Marjorie Ruggles Lane (the daughter of John Lewis Lane and Myrtle May Ruggles).
Source: Genealogy of Bill Paxton (focusing on his father’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
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Birth Name: Christopher Nash Elliott
Place of Birth: New York City, New York
Date of Birth: May 31, 1960
Ethnicity: English, German
Chris Elliott is an American actor. He is the son of Lee (born Virginia Lee Peppers), a model and TV director, and Bob Elliott, a comedian. His daughter is comedian/actress Abby Elliott. He has English and German ancestry.
Chris’s paternal grandparents were Fred Russell Elliott (the son of William Elliott and Alice Augusta Gage) and Gail Marguarite Brackett (the daughter of Charles S. Brackett and Bertha E. Pilley).
Chris’s maternal grandparents were Gail Garnet Peppers (the son of Peter A. Pepper and Ruphelle T. Wetzel) and Virginia Frances Echols (the daughter of John Shannon Echols and Sarah Tevenner/Frances Spencer).
Sources: Genealogy of Chris’s paternal grandparents, Fred Russell Elliott and Gail Marguarite Brackett – http://www.geni.com
Chris’s maternal grandmother, Virginia Frances Echols, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Birth Name: Leslie J. Hand
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California
Date of Birth: March 26, 1970
Ethnicity: Finnish (maternal grandmother), English, Scottish, German
Leslie Mann is an American actress. She is the daughter of Janet Ann (Hamilton) and Richard Owen Hand (“Mann” is the surname of a stepfather). Leslie is married to director/producer Judd Apatow.
Her maternal grandmother was of Finnish descent. Her other ancestry includes English, Scottish, and German.
Leslie’s paternal grandparents were ? Hand and ? Schneider.
Leslie’s maternal grandparents were Thomas Hamilton and Sadie Heljä/Hilya Viola Räsänen (the daughter of John Peter Räsänen and Anna M.). John and Anna were Finnish.
Sources: California Birth Index entry for Leslie Mann (born Leslie J. Hand) – http://www.californiabirthindex.org
Leslie’s maternal grandmother, Sadie Heljä/Hilya Viola Räsänen, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Place of Birth: Cleveland, Ohio
Date of Birth: July 1, 1956
Ethnicity: German, possibly other
Alan Ruck is an American actor.
Alan’s paternal grandparents were Harry Vernet Ruck (the son of George M. Ruck and Ida L. Mussel) and Jessie B. Douglas. George and Ida were both born in Germany.
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Birth Name: Kristen Nöel Swanson
Place of Birth: Mission Vejo, California
Date of Birth: December 19, 1969
Ethnicity: Swedish (paternal grandfather), German, as well as English, Scottish, Irish
Kristy Swanson is an American actress. Her paternal grandfather was of Swedish descent and her maternal grandfather was of German ancestry. Her other roots are English, Scottish, Irish, and other German.
Kristy’s paternal grandparents were Simon Paul Swanson (the son of Per August Swanson and Lovisa Kristina Nelson) and Maude Opal Barker (the daughter of Robert Hiram Barker and Victoria Weininger). Simon was of Swedish descent. Maude had English, Scottish, and German ancestry.
Kristy’s maternal grandparents were Robert Martin Albrecht (the son of Robert Albrecht and Rosa/Rose Miller) and Miriam Harriet Lafferty (the daughter of Francis Lafferty and Mary T. Woods). Kristy’s grandfather Robert’s parents were both German. Miriam had Irish and German ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Kristy Swanson – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Kristy Swanson (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
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Birth Name: James Maitland Stewart
Date of Birth: May 20, 1908
Place of Birth: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: July 2, 1997
Place of Death: Beverly Hills, California
Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Irish
James Stewart was an American actor. He had English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry, with deep family roots in Pennsylvania.
James’s paternal grandparents were James Maitland Stewart (the son of John Kerr Stewart and Elizabeth Hindman Armstrong) and Virginia Kelly (the daughter of James M. Kelly and Eliza Taylor).
James’s maternal grandparents were Samuel McCartney Jackson (the son of John Jackson and Elizabeth McCartney) and Mary E. Wilson (the daughter of John McConnell Wilson and Ruth Goheen).
Source: Genealogy of James Stewart – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
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Birth Name: Kenneth John Ortega
Place of Birth: Palo Alto, California
Date of Birth: April 18, 1950
Ethnicity: Spanish
Kenny Ortega is an American choreographer and director. He is of Spanish descent.
Kenny’s paternal grandparents were Juan “John” Antonio Caballero Ortega (the son of Antonio Ortega Ortega and Josepha Caballero Chica) and Maria Guadalupe Canada (the daughter of Francisco Rizquez Ocana/Canada and Maria del Carmen Ortega). Juan and Maria Guadalupe were both born in Jaén, Spain.
Source: Kenny’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Birth Name: Christopher Lee Kattan
Place of Birth: Sherman Oaks, California
Date of Birth: October 19, 1970
Ethnicity:
*Iraqi Jewish, Polish Jewish (father)
*Hungarian (mother)
Chris Kattan is an American actor. His father, actor Kip King (born Jerome Charles Kattan), was of half Iraqi Jewish and half Polish Jewish ancestry. His mother, model Hajnalka E. Biro, is Hungarian (and a Buddhist by religion).
Chris’s paternal grandparents were Albert Kattan (born Abdullah Sion Kattan, the son of ? Kattan and ? Akerib) and Regina. Albert was born in Iraq. Regina was born in Poland.
Source: Chris’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Birth Name: Richard Walter Jenkins
Date of Birth: 10 November, 1925
Place of Birth: Pontrhydyfen, Wales
Date of Death: 5 August, 1984
Place of Death: Céligny, Switzerland
Ethnicity: Welsh
Richard Burton was a Welsh actor. He was the son of Edith Maud (Thomas) and Richard Walter Jenkins.
Richard’s paternal grandparents were Thomas Jenkins (the son of Miles Jenkins and Mary Arthur) and Margaret Walters (the daughter of Richard Walters and Jane Harries). Miles was the son of Miles Jenkins and Alice David.
Richard’s maternal grandparents were Henry Thomas (the son of John Thomas and Hannah Charles) and Jane Morgan (the daughter of Rees Morgan and Hannah Davies).
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Birth Name: Kathy Ann Najimy
Place of Birth: San Diego, California
Date of Birth: February 6, 1957
Ethnicity: Lebanese
Kathy Najimy is an American actress. Her parents, Samia (Massery) and Fred Najimy, were both of Lebanese descent.
Kathy’s paternal grandparents were Shaheen Gibran Najimy and Balage.
Source: Kathy’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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Birth Name: Carl Martin Froch
Place of Birth: Nottingham, England
Date of Birth: 2 July, 1977
Ethnicity:
*Polish, some German (father)
*English (mother)
Carl Froch is a British boxer. He is the son of Carol (Douglas) and Frank Froch.
His father is of Polish, and also some German, descent. His mother has English ancestry.
Carl’s paternal grandparents were Wojciech Froch and Alexandra Budzik. Wojciech was from Katowice, Poland, and had some degree of German ancestry. Alexandra was from Tarnów, Poland.
Carl’s maternal grandparents were Oswald Douglas and Edith.
Numerous web sites (including, embarrassingly [for them], The Guardian newspaper) state that Carl’s father’s family were Polish Jews. This claim is completely false. His paternal grandparents were of non-Jewish background. In his book autobiography, The Cobra: My Story (2011), Carl recounts how his paternal grandfather was made to serve in the German army during World War II, because of his own German ancestry.
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Birth Name: Amar’e Carsares Stoudemire
Place of Birth: Lake Wales, Florida
Date of Birth: November 16, 1982
Ethnicity: African-American
Amar’e Stoudemire is an American basketball player. His parents, Carrie (Palmorn) and Hazell Stoudemire, are both African-American.
Amar’e’s maternal grandparents were Jack Palmorn and Bessie Thomas.
Amar’e has frequently stated that he has some kind of Jewish ancestry on his mother’s side, and has occasionally claimed to be Jewish. Amar’e’s maternal grandparents, who were African-American, were of the Baptist religion. No Jewish ancestry has ever been documented for Amar’e Stoudemire, nor has he (yet?) converted to Judaism.
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Birth Name: Toby Finn Regbo
Place of Birth: London, England
Date of Birth: 18 October, 1991
Ethnicity:
*Norwegian (father)
*Italian, British-Australian (mother)
Toby Regbo is a British actor.
His father’s family is Norwegian, with the surname having been changed from “Hanson” to “Regbo”.
His maternal grandfather was Italian and his maternal grandmother was Australian (likely of British background).
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Birth Name: Kelly Ann McGillis
Place of Birth: Newport Beach, California
Date of Birth: July 9, 1957
Ethnicity: English, Welsh, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), German
Kelly McGillis is an American actress. She has English, Welsh, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish) and German ancestry.
Kelly’s paternal grandparents were Howard Manson McGillis (the son of Jasper Newton McGillis and Delia Asenith Manson) and Florence Olivia Nelson (the daughter of Henry O. Nelson and Lura J. Bingham).
Kelly’s maternal grandparents were Joseph Burton Snell (the son of Joseph Christian Snell and Mabel Clara Burton) and Virginia Blanche Davis (the daughter of Charles L. Davis and Vera Blanche Tucker).
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Birth Name: Harry Robinson Hamlin
Place of Birth: October 30, 1951
Date of Birth: Pasadena, California
Ethnicity: English
Harry Hamlin is an American actor. He has English ancestry. Harry’s patrilineal line can be traced back to James Hamlin, who was born, c. 1636, in Reading, Berkshire, England.
Harry’s paternal grandparents were Chauncey Jerome Hamlin (the son of Harry Hamlin and Grace Enos) and Emily Ann Gray (the daughter of David Gray and Martha Guthrie).
Harry’s maternal grandparents were Clarence A. Robinson (the son of Forrest D. Robinson and Mattie) and Anna Fern West (the daughter of ? West and ? Ellis).
Sources: Genealogy of Harry Hamlin (focusing on his father’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Harry’s father (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
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