Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer Connelly

Connelly in 2009, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Jennifer Lynn Connelly

Place of Birth: Cairo, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 12, 1970

Ethnicity:
*father – Irish, Norwegian
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Jennifer Connelly is an American actress and model. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for A Beautiful Mind (2001). She is also known for her roles in the films Once Upon a Time in America, Phenomena, Seven Minutes in Heaven, Labyrinth, Etoile, The Hot Spot, Career Opportunities, The Rocketeer, Of Love and Shadows, Mulholland Falls, Inventing the Abbotts, Dark City, Waking the Dead, Requiem for a Dream, Pollock, Hulk, House of Sand and Fog, Dark Water, Little Children, Blood Diamond, Reservation Road, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), He’s Just Not That Into You, Creation, The Dilemma, Stuck in Love, Winter’s Tale, Aloft, Noah (2014), Shelter, American Pastoral, Only the Brave, and Top Gun: Maverick, and on the series Snowpiercer.

Jennifer is the daughter of Ilene, an antiques dealer, and Gerard Karl Connelly, a clothing manufacturer. Jennifer’s father was of Irish and Norwegian ancestry. Jennifer’s mother was Jewish, of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent, and had been educated at a yeshiva. Jennifer was raised mostly in Brooklyn Heights, New York City, with a few years in Woodstock, upstate. Her family was secular by the time she was born.

Jennifer is married to English actor Paul Bettany. She has a son with her former partner, photographer David Dugan; and two children with Paul.

Jennifer’s maternal grandfather was Jacob “Jack” Schumann/Schuman (the son of Meyer Schumann/Schuman and Yetta/Yette Gottlieb). Jacob was born in Pennsylvania, to Russian Jewish parents. Meyer was the son of Hellel Schumann and Sarah Gottlieb. Yetta was the daughter of Victor Gottlieb and Chaya Chenyu.

Jennifer’s maternal grandmother was Leah/Leona “Lee” Bernzweig (the daughter of Benjamin Bernzweig and Sophia/Sophie Rubin). Leah was born in New York, to Jewish parents from Galicia (Poland). Benjamin was the son of Moshe/Moses Bernzweig and Rachael Hannah. Sophia was the daughter of Dora.

Sources: Interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2004 – https://www.youtube.com

Genealogy of Jennifer Connelly (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Jennifer’s maternal grandfather, Jacob “Jack” Schumann/Schuman, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Jacob “Jack” Schumann/Schuman on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Jennifer’s maternal grandmother, Leah/Leona “Lee” Bernzweig, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Leah/Leona “Lee” Bernzweig on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

41 Responses

  1. jonassjr says:

    the result of the mix between celtic, viking, and all the different ethnicities that constitute the ash-jews surely results in beautiful women

  2. madman says:

    https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Connelly-2135
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XP2-Y2QG

    These seem to be the correct people, but it would mean Jennifer doesn’t have any Norwegian ancestry.

    Jennifer’s paternal grandfather was John Paul Connelly (the son of John James Connolly and Mary G. Smith). John James was born in Scotland, to Irish parents, James Connolly and Elizabeth McIntyre. Mary was born in Ireland, the daughter of Peter Smith and Bridget Reilly.

    Jennifer’s paternal grandmother was Margaret Rose Harvey (the daughter of William J. Harvey and Catherine I. McCue). William was born in Ireland, the son of John Harvey and Margaret Thomas. Catherine was also born in Ireland, the daughter of Michael McCue and Elizabeth Conlon.

    • follers says:

      Connelly states here that her paternal grandfather was Irish and her paternal grandmother was Norwegian. She also adds that her grandfather was Catholic and her grandmother was Protestant.

      https://youtu.be/CoLoi_Y8-2s?t=90

      So those have to be the wrong people/M. Night Shyamalan.

      I also always thought that her father’s middle name, Karl, probably came from the Norwegian side.

  3. Jacklyn 224 says:

    Wow I just discovered her after watching a bucket of 80s films.She is absolutely stunning.How come we don’t have women like her in my generation.and how come I’ve never heard of her.

    Hands down she is one of the most beautiful bombshells to have ever walked the planet.

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