Miles Teller

Teller in 2011, photo via PR photos

Birth Name: Miles Alexander Teller

Place of Birth: Downingtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Date of Birth: February 20, 1987

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish (paternal grandfather), Irish, Polish, English, German, 1/16th African-American

Miles Teller is an American actor and musician. He has had leading roles in the films Rabbit Hole, Footloose (2011), 21 & Over, The Spectacular Now, That Awkward Moment, the Divergent series, Two Night Stand, Whiplash, Fantastic Four (2015), Get a Job, War Dogs, Bleed for This, Only the Brave, Thank You for Your Service, Top Gun: Maverick, and Spiderhead, and the mini-series Too Old to Die Young and The Offer.

Miles is the son of Merry, a real estate agent, and Michael Teller, a nuclear power plant engineer. Miles’s paternal grandfather was of Russian Jewish/Ukrainian Jewish descent, while Miles’s paternal grandmother was of half Irish and half Polish (Catholic) ancestry. Miles’s mother is of English, Irish, German, and one eighth African-American, descent. A picture of Miles with his parents can be seen here. It appears that Miles was raised Christian; he was part of a church group in high school.

Miles was raised in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and then Citrus County, Florida.

He is married to model Keleigh Sperry.

Miles’s paternal grandfather was Benjamin Teller (the son of Carl Teller and Jennie Celander/Celender). Benjamin was born in Pennsylvania. Carl was born in Pennsylvania, the son of Benjamin Teller/Tilisky and Esther Rachel Goldsmith, who were Jewish emigrants, from Fastiv, Ukraine. Jennie was also born in Pennsylvania, also to Russian Jewish parents, Bernard/Barney Celander/Celender and Martha/Mary Pikarsky/Barioski.

Miles’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Jean Benson (the daughter of John Benson and Catherine Stancavage). Dorothy was born in Pennsylvania, and was a devout Catholic. John’s parents, John A. Benson and Phoebe Galvin, were both the children of emigrants, from either England or Ireland, depending on the census; it is likely that John and Phoebe were of Irish Catholic background. Catherine’s parents, Dominic/Dominick T. Stankiewicz/Stancavage and Josephine Zubritski/Zabriski/Zubrycki, were of Polish (Catholic) descent.

Miles’s maternal grandfather is Jesse G. Flowers (the son of Wells Paul Flowers/Cronk and Miriam R. Ashenbrenner). Wells was the son of Wells Cronk and Margaret. Miriam was the daughter of Anthony Aschenbrenner, who was from Berlin, Germany, and of Elizabeth Mae Davies/Davis.

Miles’s maternal grandmother is Leona Gertrude (the daughter of James J. Dean and Eldora/ldora M. “Dora” LeCount). James likely had Irish heritage. Eldora’s father, Miles’s great-great-grandfather Thomas A. LaCount/LeCount, was born in Maryland, and was black; he was the son of William Le Count/LeCount and Sarah Coulson, both of whom were black as well. Eldora’s mother, Mary Sagairs/Sagers, was born in New Jersey, and was white. Mary was listed as Thomas’ servant on a U.S. Census.

Sources: Genealogy of Miles Teller – https://www.geni.com

Marriage record of Miles’s paternal grandparents, Benjamin Teller and Dorothy Jean Benson – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Miles’s paternal great-grandparents, Carl Teller and Jennie Celander/Celender – https://familysearch.org

Miles’s paternal great-grandparents, Carl Teller and Jennie Celander/Celender, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Miles’s paternal great-grandfather, Carl Teller, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Miles’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Jean Benson, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Miles’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Jean (Benson) Teller – https://www.legacy.com

Miles’s paternal great-grandmother, Catherine Stancavage, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Miles’s maternal great-grandfather, James J. Dean – https://www.newspapers.com

Miles’s maternal great-grandmother, Eldora/ldora M. “Dora” LeCount, on the 1905 New Jersey State Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Miles’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Thomas A. LaCount/LeCount and Mary Sagairs/Sagers, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Miles’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Thomas A. LaCount/LeCount, on the 1860 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Thomas A. LaCount/LeCount on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org